Under Her Spell - Book Four - Edward Masen in: Defending Our Love
by Bubbleybear
Summary: The adults in our lives were supposed to protect us. Who knew they'd be the biggest threat to our bond? And make us Defend Our Love.
1. Prelude

**Hello everyone! I can't believe that we are on our fourth journey through the Harry Potter World with our favourite Twilight characters. I can't believe that all of you are still with me. I couldn't be more thankful for that.**

**Thank you to Pienuniek for all of her hard work keeping me going, and keeping my thoughts in line. Thank you to Sally Hopkinson for all of her work with her red pen. This story wouldn't be at all readable without her.**

**Neither Twilight or Harry Potter belong to me, that honour goes to Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'll let you get to it, and I'll see you at the bottom of the first chapter!**

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**Under Her Spell**

**Book Four**

**Defending Our Love**

_Written by Bubbleybear, Cleaned up by Pienuniek, Beta'd by Sally Hopkinson_

_**Prelude**_

_I was once again sucked into one of Isa's vision-like dreams, but it felt completely different. It wasn't dark and scary; this time it was light and definitely festive._

_As soon as I landed, I figured out why. The Great Hall was decorated for Christmas, but not like a normal Hogwarts' Christmas. Instead of the large house tables that usually dominated the hall, there were—if I had to hazard a guess—a hundred round tables placed instead. Each of the tables only sat maybe a dozen people._

_Christmastime meant that the hall was usually decorated warmly, with lots of greens, reds, and browns. This time, it was decorated in sparkling silver frost, white trees with fairies for the lights, but also plenty of green garlands of mistletoe and ivy all over the place, mostly crisscrossing the ceiling. The house elves had also strategically placed floating candles around the ceiling to light the hall but give it a beautiful, relaxed feel._

_There were more students milling around the Great Hall than usually stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas break. What shocked me was that they weren't dressed in their usual casual clothing like last year but dressed in their finest. The boys were in dress robes, the girls in stunning dresses. On top of that, there were a dozen young men dressed in black pants and red jackets with fur lining the collar._

_I watched in quiet anticipation as the doors to the hall opened, letting several Hogwarts teachers, including Professor Dumbledore plus several new people, enter and take their place at a large round table—the biggest in the room—where the teacher's table usually sat. However, there were still eight empty chairs at the table with the teachers. Once they were seated, everyone else took their seats as well, including eight students taking those places with the teachers._

_It took me a few seconds to realize that one of those students was me, and Isa was seated next to me. I also spotted Harry, Luna, and Hermione at our table as well. But it made me wonder what was going on._

_Dinner was a lively affair with everyone chatting, laughing, and well … having a ball._

_It wasn't until the eight students stood from the table that I took notice of what Isa was wearing. She was stunning, and I couldn't believe my luck that she was my mate._

_We made our way out to the open section of floor, holding the hand of our partner, before spinning them around on the dance floor and taking up a waltz stance as the music began to play._

I hum as I'm pulled slowly from the dream, still seeing my beautiful girl all dressed up to be on my arm. I couldn't be a prouder mate if I tried.

_That was a nice change,_ Isa thought, blinking slowly over at me in the dim morning light. _Does that mean we'll have a quiet year at Hogwarts this year?_

I smiled at her. "I doubt it, sweetheart. But I do know one thing."

_What's that?_

"You are going to look absolutely stunning in that dress, for whatever event we are attending at Christmas."

_Thank you, Edward._ Isa blushed furiously but gave me that stunning smile, which was reserved only for me. _You are going to be so handsome, too._

"I can't wait to see what that's going to be all about. Looks like we might have quite a bit of fun this year."

_Let's hope so._ Isa yawned before closing her eyes and going back to sleep.


	2. Chapter One - Summer Part I

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Enjoy.**

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**Chapter One – Summer Part I**

Summer started much like any other we'd had. Everyone was very busy with their own things that had accumulated over the year we had been at Hogwarts.

A family of supernaturally inclined people would never fully be at rest.

We'd had our usual rest period, but by the end of that, everyone was itching to get started on something to do, none more so than Neville.

Earlier in our third year at Hogwarts, Neville had been blamed for something he hadn't done, causing his grandmother to send a Howler and letting it be known to the greater Hogwarts community that she was an abuser.

At Christmas last year, Rose and Emmett had bought some land from Isa behind Swan Manor that butted up to the road on the other side. They had built their dream home, both magical and muggle, so they could adopt or foster children from the Middle House where Rose worked at Diagon Alley. But when they'd found out about what happened to Neville, they fought tooth and nail to be able to foster him first.

However, we'd found out on our return from school that Neville's grandmother had only sent the bare necessities of his things and nothing of his parents.

That was what we were on our way to do today. Neville had had enough of not being able to set his room up like he wanted and asked us to go with him today to get his things. He knew his grandmother wouldn't like the fact that he was living with vampires, nor that the vampires were so comfortable in the muggle world—something that his grandmother could never be. He'd asked us to travel to their place in London just like a muggle would.

"Are you sure you want to do it like this?" I asked one last time because we were getting close to Neville's house. I looked in the rearview mirror to see Neville in the back seat of my Volvo. Emmett was next to me in the front passenger seat, with Jasper and Carlisle in Carlisle's Mercedes behind us.

"I think it's the only way to do it," Neville murmured as he looked out the window. "She'll not know what to do, or say, with all of you there backing me up. I'm hoping she won't say anything at all. Although, she's going to want to argue until she's black and blue about me taking my parents' things."

I looked over at Emmett, whose thoughts were worried. He had done a lot of growing up since fighting for Neville. He would always be our fun-loving goofball, but he's realized that being a father, having a family, meant he always had a reason to worry.

Emmett sighed. "It could also make her more hostile, Neville. It could make her lash out, and you'll bear the brunt of her anger."

Neville nodded but turned to look Emmett in the eye. "So be it. I want my parents' and my things. I deserve them after everything she's put me through."

"Okay. But we're here for you; remember that." Emmett looked at him.

"I know," Neville said as he opened the door to the car when we pulled up to the curb. "I wouldn't be where I am if not for the support of all of you."

The house Neville's grandmother lived in was what you'd call a townhouse. In fact, the whole street was just townhomes, one after the other, all the way down the street. The fence ran level with the sidewalk, and Neville had already reached the gate before we'd climbed out of the car after him.

By the time we caught up with him—moving at muggle speed because we were being watched—Neville had already made it to the front door. I had expected him to knock before entering—that was the kind of thing I would have expected from his grandmother.

"She's here, right?" Neville asked me, even though he'd already opened the door and taken a few steps inside.

"She is. And from what I can tell, she's in the back of the house."

Neville snorted. "The family room." He looked over the four of us standing in the doorway. "Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation?"

With a snort of laughter, we followed Neville through the door and into the house.

Regardless of the fact that Neville's grandmother lived in London, the house was completely sustained by magic. There wasn't one electric item, even in the kitchen. I sure hope she never invited muggles over.

"Grandmother?" Neville called as he entered the family room and stood in front of her. "I believe you have some things of mine."

There was a derisive lady-like snort from the wingback chair facing the backyard. "There is nothing here that belongs to you. Everything I didn't send I bought with my own money. Anything of your parents belongs to me because he was my son first."

_Wow. What a crotchety old woman._ Jasper shook his head. _She's a piece of work. How the hell did Neville grow up to be what he is when he had this at home?_

"An age old question, Jasper," I murmured, looking over to him.

Carlisle stepped in before Neville could say something he might regret. Although, I'm not sure he would have. "Excuse me, ma'am. But usually when someone passes away, or ends up in hospital, the child becomes the benefactor of what is left from them. You became his guardian, holding those things for him, not to keep them from him."

"Is that so? And who do you think you …" Neville's gran stood up rather gracefully for an elderly lady. "Vampires! You brought vampires into my house, boy?"

Neville stood up straight and faced her head on. "These are the _people_ who took me in when your despicable behavior took me away from you. In fact, Emmett"—he pointed at our big burly brother—"is my new foster father. I'm entitled to my things, and my parents' things, and I _am_ going to take them. If you try and stop me, you'll have to go through him."

With the confirmation from Neville, Emmett stood straighter, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared down Neville's gran, who took a small involuntary step backward. Carlisle decided he was going to stay down with Emmett and try to talk to Neville's gran about having some sort of relationship with her grandson. I snorted; he couldn't even manage to have a relationship with me; what made him think he was the right person to talk to her? Maybe it would help him see what he was doing wrong?

Neville spun and nodded his head in Jasper's and my direction, indicating we should follow him up the stairs. We walked up to the next floor where the bedrooms were located and down the hall to the last door on the left.

"This was my room," Neville said as he opened the door to a bland room. There were a few things that indicated this was a young boy's room: posters, flyers, flags, and the like. But after that, the room could be a guest room. There were no personal touches, no pictures of family, nothing that would indicate that someone loved had lived here.

I watched as Neville looked around the room in front of him, seeing what he saw when he looked it over. "There isn't much I want to take from here, just my posters and things. What I really want is this way."

We followed him to the door opposite his room that, when opened, showed us another flight of stairs that led up into a huge attic. This room had been neatly organized by someone who happened to have a touch of OCD because, from what I could see at a glance, it was done so in chronological order. The oldest of the boxes, crates really, seemed to be older than Neville's gran, meaning that this house was a lot like Isa's. A family estate. This family kept their history safe. Even if they moved, they took their precious memories with them and stored them by year to remember their history. It was something that was rare now in the muggle world. People didn't really safeguard their history, other than on social media, handing them down to their own family members. And sometimes, even when they did, those family members didn't appreciate what they were being given.

Neville walked over to a pile of boxes that were dated fourteen years ago and had seen better days. In fact, it looked like more than one of them had been rummaged through. I think his gran had more to answer for than just keeping these things from him. Neville shook his head, clearly angry. "My gran boxed up everything that belonged to my parents." He snorted. "When I was younger, I was so alone. Or at least, I felt like that. I used to come up here to play in Dad's jeweled dress robes, and feel close to my …"

Jasper felt the spike of anger and despair before Neville dove into the top box, pulling things out and throwing them all over the place. When he couldn't find what he was looking for, he moved onto the next box.

"Neville … wait! What are you doing?" I had to dodge a piece of moth-eaten clothing that came flying in my direction before an empty box followed. "Neville?"

"Just wait!" he growled. "She's been through these, but she can't have sold everything. Please, she can't have sold them!"

Jasper looked over at me and shrugged. _He needs to feel this. I'd like to help him, but he's been holding so much back because of her. Let him._

I nodded in agreement, but just as I did, Neville sunk to the floor, holding a tattered, damaged wooden box. We came to sit on the floor with him in support as he looked up at us. He took a deep breath before he slowly opened the lid and releasing it in a gush when he found whatever he had been looking for.

"Neville? Are you okay?" Jasper asked gently.

He sagged back against the few boxes that were still in one piece behind him before looking back at us. "Yeah," he sighed. "Yes. These were my parents." He turned the box around to reveal a pair of watches very similar to my own. Only more worn, tattered, and well loved. "They were the only thing given to us after … They were wearing them that night, as far as I know. I just … I would have been so mad." He smacked the floor hard. "She's sold everything of value. I'm just glad she didn't sell these. They were important."

"Then I'm glad you have them, Neville." Jasper snickered as he looked around at the mess Neville had made, which caused me to laugh too. "Before we take everything with us, I think we need to pick all this up, don't you?" Jasper patted him on the shoulder as he stood to start gathering some of the things Neville had thrown around. "Don't worry; your gran doesn't scare us!"

I laughed at the look on his face, as I too stood to start picking up. "Come on, Neville; you know she can't hurt us. We are vampires after all!"

Neville's face flamed with embarrassment. "I do, but I forget so often because you guys don't act like vampires. You're human but, most importantly, family to me."

I bumped his shoulder after picking up some more of the things he'd thrown about. "Then we've done our job right. Even though we don't have to hide what we are, it's nice to know when people see us for who we are. Now, why don't you leave these boxes to Jasper and I, while you go grab a couple of empty ones from the car and pack up your room, okay?"

Neville nodded. "Thanks, Edward."

"No problem. And hey, Neville?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'll grab a few of these other boxes, if that's okay with you?"

Neville nodded before he walked to the stairs. Jasper and I were quiet as we waited until Neville was out of earshot.

"What else are we taking, Edward?" Jasper asked when Neville had reached the flight of stairs that led to the ground floor.

"I think we'll take some of these from when he was a baby. Memories that he might not remember but ones he should have all the same. It's something we all were denied when we were changed. But I'm not letting him miss out on them."

Jasper looked at me while he sampled my emotions. "Then you pick which ones we take and stack them by the stairs while I finish picking up. We'll make sure Neville has all the memories he deserves."

"Good." As I searched through some of the boxes that were marked from around the time Neville was born, I tuned into what was going on downstairs.

I snorted to myself while shaking my head. It seemed that Carlisle was able to see the faults in others, and could even try to talk them into changing their minds, yet couldn't see the problem in himself. Although, if what I was reading in his mind was correct, it seemed he was connecting the dots more and more.

Maybe he would be able to apologize to me, and actually mean it, before long. I hoped so.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Jasper asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I frowned, looking up, because I wasn't sure what he was talking about. "What's happening downstairs? Amazing that he can see her but not himself."

"I was just thinking about that. But it seems times might be changing."

Jasper nodded. "Good thing. Are those what we're taking?"

"Yeah, these, and those four over there. I think he deserves some from his ancestors too. Let's get them loaded up."

Jasper and I each grabbed a few boxes each before we marched down the stairs, almost crashing into Neville as he walked out of his room. He laughed at how weighed down we were. "I didn't mean for you to grab them all in one go!"

I laughed at his comment. "We didn't. There're still more in there. Are you all done?"

"Yeah. Jasper can you handle the last of the boxes? I want Edward downstairs for a few minutes."

"Sure. Though, why don't you send Carlisle up to give me a hand?" Jasper sent him a wave of calm. "Don't want to overload your gran, now do we?"

Neville just shrugged before leading the way to the stairs to the ground floor. Jasper and I followed him. I placed my boxes on the floor at the bottom of the stairs before turning and following Neville over to where his gran had retaken her seat and was studiously trying to ignore Carlisle's attempts at communication. She was nothing, if not, stubborn.

Carlisle sighed when he saw us come forward. He stood, nodded at us, and then passed us before going and collecting the boxes I had placed in the foyer. I stood with Emmett off to the side while we waited for Neville to collect his thoughts to confront his gran.

It wasn't until Jasper and Carlisle had walked back up the stairs that Neville stood in front of his gran, ready to say what he wanted. "I can't believe you, Grandmother. In all this time, I thought you were looking after me, but what you were really doing was robbing me blind. For hundreds of years, the family heirlooms, and everything about this family, was handed down from father to son." Neville flung down something in front of his gran on the floor. It took me a moment to realize they were photos of his parents dressed to the nines.

"I went through those boxes, Gran. You've sold everything that was of value to my parents. Everything except their watches." Gran flinched, which caused me to listen in on her thoughts. I frowned because it seemed she had sold them and hadn't expected them to be among those things. "When Grandfather died, everything was handed down to my dad, and had he passed, it would have been handed to me. Considering my parents are still alive, that means this house, and everything in it, is theirs until either they wake up or I turn of age."

Neville had started pacing back and forth, waiting for his gran to say something, but she was stubbornly refusing. "So, as my parents' only heir, I'm assuming control of everything. You have an hour to pack your belongings before leaving. I am locking up this house until either they wake up, or I turn of age." He snorted as she glared up at him. "And don't worry, your bags will be checked before you leave, just to make sure you don't take anything you aren't entitled to."

Neville watched as she stood from her chair without saying a word. When she stood, she was almost half a foot shorter than her fourteen-year-old grandson. She glared up at him with nothing but contempt before turning and walking away without saying a damn word. We were quiet as she made her way to a bedroom on the first floor.

"You'll keep an eye on her, Edward?" Neville asked.

"You didn't need to ask. I was going to do it anyway. I think, though, if you're going to seal this place up, you should get someone who knows how to do that," I suggested.

"Yeah. I'll go write to Mr. Weasley; he should know how to do that."

"Think he's gonna be okay?" Emmett asked me when Neville had walked through to the dining room to find some paper and a quill.

I thought about it while watching his gran pack her bags. I nodded before I answered. "With time, he will be. He needs the support we can offer him. And with that and time, he'll be fine."

For the next little bit while Carlisle and Jasper packed the boxes in the car, and Gran packed only her belongings because Emmett went to stand in her open door, we were all quiet. In fact, nothing was said until there was a knock on the door. I answered the door since everyone else was busy, except Neville, who was standing in his parents' room, just soaking in what was left of them.

"Hey, Arthur, glad you could make it."

"Morning, Edward. Neville was rather vague in his letter, just asking me to get here. What's going on, and what does he need?"

I led Arthur into the house and down the hall to the family room. "Neville is removing his gran from this house before she sells everything out from underneath him. What he wants to do is seal this place up so nobody can get back in until he comes of age or his parents wake up, as small a chance as that might be."

"Ahh, and he doesn't want Gran to know how to get into this place after she's gone." He nodded in the direction of her room and Emmett.

"Exactly. Can you do that?"

"Yes. That won't be a problem, but I do want to talk to him first. Where is he?"

I pointed to the stairs. "Up the flight, second door on your right."

"Thanks, Edward."

I tried my best to stay out of their conversation because I wanted Neville to be able to explain things his way, and he seemed to be holding his own. I walked over to Emmett and gazed into the bedroom to see that Gran had finished packing and was just sitting on the bed. She was forlorn and wondered what she was going to do now. But the one thing she was thinking was that she wasn't sorry, not for any of it.

"Have you got somewhere to stay?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

She snorted delicately. "Like you animals care. You're letting my grandson kick me out of my home."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't care. I wouldn't have a family, or a mate, if I didn't have feelings or care about others. We wouldn't be here if we didn't care about that boy upstairs. The fact that you can stand there and accuse us of doing the one thing you've been doing is a little hypocritical, don't you think?"

All she did was raise her nose that much farther in the air before turning to look at me dead on. "I did what I thought was best. For …"

"Do not say for Neville. You were doing the best for you. Now I will ask one last time. Do you have somewhere to go?"

"Yes. I have somewhere to go." In her mind I saw a portly witch dressed from head to toe in pink ruffles with a face that looked like—there was really nothing else I could think of—a giant toad.

"Good." I nodded. I stood up and moved out of the way. "Guess it's time for you to go then."

"Aren't you going to check my bags?"

I snorted. "Just like the rest of the wizarding world, you know nothing about what I am or what I can do. I've had my eye on you the whole time you've packed. I know there is nothing in any of those bags that doesn't belong to you because if you had, I would have come in and taken it from you."

She deflated a little as she looked at me. "Oh."

I nodded. "Yes, oh. Now, is this everything?" Neville's gran nodded in my direction, then skittered back a few steps when I drew my wand. "Really?" I asked sarcastically. "You think I'm gonna hurt you now? I've had all morning to hurt you, and nothing would have stopped me if I'd wanted to." I shook my head looking over at the woman who had made my friend's life a living hell before looking back at the few bags of clothes and trinkets she'd packed. I waved my wand at them while saying, "Reducio."

All of the bags she'd packed shrunk down to a size that would easily fit into her rather large handbag without causing her too much trouble. "There you go. I suggest you pack those away, then make your way out of Neville's house. I'm not sure how much longer he's going to be accommodating to your stalling tactics. He isn't going to let you stay here, and after everything you've done to him, I'm not at all surprised."

I walked out after that, leaving her under the watchful eye of Emmett, and made my way to the bottom of the staircase where Neville and Arthur were coming down.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Weasley. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you're doing," Neville said as he stepped off the bottom step.

"It's not a problem, Neville. You know that, and please call me Arthur. But, one last time, are you sure you want to do this? Throw her out and lock the place down?" Arthur had stopped next to me but turned to face Neville.

"I am. I want her out of this place before she empties it of everything my family has held dear. She's sold just about everything that belonged to my parents."

I tuned them out as Emmett and Neville's gran caught my attention. Emmett was escorting her to the door, but doing his level best to let her know that if she wanted to try to maintain any sort of relationship with her grandson she could contact him at the McCarty Home, either by owl or the floo network. Emmett was frustrated that she didn't seem to be listening and gave up when she walked through the door without acknowledging him. But what he didn't realize was she was listening; she was just sticking to her guns and ignoring the people throwing her out of _her_ home.

Emmett's face was crestfallen when he spun back to me. However, he changed it just before Neville could see. _Do you think she'll make contact or at least try to have some sort of relationship with him?_

I shook my head slightly. To me, Neville's gran seemed to be as stubborn as a mule. For now, she'd made up her mind, and there wasn't a damn thing we were going to be able to do to change it.

_Damn_, Emmett sighed in his head. _Who'd have thought the wizards were as hardheaded as the muggles._

I chuckled silently as Emmett made his way over to me. "I think they're actually worse in some aspects."

_Yeah, I noticed that too._

"Is everything ready?" Arthur asked when he realized Emmett was here with us, and Jasper and Carlisle were coming down the stairs.

Carlisle nodded while Jasper answered. "Yep, these are the last of the boxes. Once we're all outside, it's all down to you. We can give you a ride home, if you'd like? Are you finished at the Ministry for the day?" Jasper asked with a chuckle laced through his last question because Arthur had never ridden in a newer vehicle before, and his face had broken out in a large smile.

"Yes, I have, and yes, I'd love a lift with you guys. That'll be brilliant!" Arthur answered excitedly.

"Good." I laughed. "Then let's get going, shall we. We'll load up in the cars while you do your stuff."

Arthur nodded and followed all of us to the front door. We left him there as Neville joined Emmett and me in my Volvo, while Jasper and Carlisle placed the last of the boxes in the cars before they climbed into Carlisle's Mercedes. It didn't take Arthur long to finish sealing up Neville's home, and once he was done, he joined Carlisle and Jasper.

The ride home was reminiscent of the one there. Neville was quiet while Emmett and I spoke silently and quickly, leaving Neville to his thoughts. Emmett was concerned about how Neville was going to handle the last disconnect from his family, and I couldn't ease his mind about how Neville would handle it. My last bit of advice for him, as we pulled up into the driveway of their home, was that if he was truly worried, then he should get Neville to talk to Esme. She'd helped us deal with all of our changes at different parts of our lives, and if anyone could help Neville, she would be the ideal one. But, in the meantime, just be there for him, for whatever he needed.

Neville was dead on his feet by the time we'd finished unloading all of his things and decided he was going to go to bed early. Carlisle and Jasper had already left, so Emmett and Rose walked me to the door.

"Thank you, Edward, for everything you did for Neville," Rose said as I walked through the door.

"It wasn't a problem. Neville is my family as much as you are. We look after our own." I nodded. "You know where I am, where any of us are, if you need us. Don't hesitate, okay?"

They both nodded before going back inside. I shook my head as I climbed into my car. It was going to be a long road for all of us, but I was pretty sure Neville would be much better now than he had been before.

~*~UHS~*~

"So, how did things go with Daddy?" Isa asked, sitting next to me at the piano a couple days after we went to get Neville's things. She had turned on our Bubble Lamp to give us complete privacy.

I shrugged and continued to play for a little bit, enjoying the silence that came with the lamp. Even though there were fewer of us here since Emmett and Rose moved out, it could still get loud, though less so during the day.

"Seeing Neville's gran seemed to be a bit of a wake-up call for him. He could see traces of himself in her, and it shook him to his core. He hasn't reconciled it all yet, but he's getting there."

Isa hugged my arm. "He has seemed to be a bit introspective since you returned. Do you think he'll apologize and mean it soon?"

"He had meant it the other times, but he didn't think he was wrong. It's that apology and admittance I'm waiting on. But to answer your question, I do believe he will; he just needs to reconcile it."

"Good, that's good."

We sat quietly for a little longer with the Bubble Lamp on until there was a knock on the door. Isa stood, placing her hand on the lamp to turn it off, before making her way to our bedroom door.

"Remus!" Isa squealed as she launched herself into his arms. "I'm so glad you could make it today!"

I chuckled along with Remus at her excitement as I stood from the piano and made my way over to shake his hand. "It's good to see you."

"You as well. Although, I'm not sure I had a choice but to come. A pesky little blue owl wouldn't leave our home this morning until we stepped into the fireplace." Remus laughed at Isa's mock innocent face. "But I was going to come see you anyway. Can we talk privately for a minute?"

"Sure, come on in." Remus walked in and closed the door behind him. To give him complete privacy, Isa turned the lamp back on. Remus and the others had been shown the lamps after Isa had made them. In fact, they had put in orders for their own when we managed to get our hands on some more. "What can we do for you?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Sirius and James had to be told about your potion—the one that has managed to change me into an animagus—after what happened at Hogwarts." He looked at us to see if we followed before he continued. "But I haven't told them how it's been happening. Oh, they've asked, begged, and pleaded to know, but until it's confirmed that it's permanent, I don't want to get their hopes up."

"I can understand that," I murmured. "Have you skipped a month, you know, to test it?"

Remus shook his head. "Not yet. I thought I'd wait a year and see what happens. I don't feel any different from month to month, and I can't feel it wearing off, but a year seems like the right span of time."

"That seems fair, and you're the one testing it, so whatever you think is best," I agreed. "I can see that you're happy about it though."

Isa and I chuckled at the fast nodding Remus did. "You can't believe how thankful I am for what you've done. I'll be in your debt forever."

"Uh, no." I shook my head. "You did the same thing for us when you created the potions for us to eat, return to our normal eye color, and the rest. Let's call this even."

Isa snorted. "Maybe one day you can open a shop and sell them all, Edward. All of the potions you two have created will make the world a better place."

We both looked over at her. We didn't have to look down too far because my girl had had another growth spurt. In fact, as she sat there next to me, the top of her head reached my shoulder. It wasn't the first time she had said this to me, but it was the first time I had taken her seriously because of what we were about to do.

"Maybe one day, my sweet girl, but not today."

She laughed. "No, not today. For now, it's time to go downstairs. We have things to do."

~*~UHS~*~

"Where are we going?" Sirius asked from the back of the small group we had with us. "I mean, we're here in Diagon Alley, but why?"

I laughed. "Be patient, man! We'll be there shortly, then Isa and I will explain all. I promise!"

_He's as impatient as Emmett is._ Isa giggled in her thoughts while she shook her head in Sirius's direction. _I can't imagine what he would have been like waiting for a new game or something to come out on all those ecletrics … uh, ecletricks … no, eletics …_

I thought about it for a second. "Electrics?"

_Yeah, duh. _Isa face-palmed. _Those things and the plastic things that play games._

"Game consoles? Like the PlayStation and the Xbox?" I chuckled.

_You muggles have silly names for things._ She huffed as she rolled her eyes at me with a smirk on her face.

I chuckled at her faux upset. "Us muggles? I'm no muggle. I'm a wizard! But, Emmett? He was terrible. And if he didn't get it right away, he was like a bear with a thorn in his foot!"

_You mean he'd get grumpy?_ I watched her thought process as she tried to imagine a grumpy Emmett.

I laughed. "He was worse than that."

"I just can't see it!" She laughed. "He's never been grumpy around me."

"It doesn't matter!" A voice chimed into our conversation even thought they had no idea what we were talking about. "Are we there yet?"

"No, Shane. But give us a minute."

When we walked toward Alice's storefront, Shane, Sirius, and Remus all frowned. But then they looked relieved when we walked past it and stood in front of the publishing house Isa and I had bought last summer. There had only been a few changes since we'd painted and prepared for our opening, and that was to place a couple of counters inside the shop area, and a sign had been placed on the shopfront.

I had to give the sign makers credit—it was beautiful. A white sign with a cast iron chain and cast iron molding around the edge, including some incredible filigree work, was stunning. Isa had given the makers a copy of the image we wanted printed on our newspaper, and they had placed it on the bottom of the sign, right below …

"The Masen Printing Consortium?" Remus, Sirius, and Shane all blurted out together. "What are we doing here?" Remus continued.

"We have a surprise for you three," Isa said as she unlocked the door. "It's something we've been planning for a while now. Well, that's not true; it's something we've had in mind since Edward had overheard a thought last year. It just took time, and we didn't have much of that through the year."

I snorted. "That and one of you was busy with something else all last year so we couldn't get it implemented."

They were all in awe at the way we'd had the front rooms converted to accommodate the newspaper side and the museum.

"Okay, you have us all intrigued," Sirius stated, continuing to look around. "Stop being so cryptic and answer Remus's question. What are we doing here?"

I looked around at the men who had become my family, who supported Isa and me, no matter what. I was so happy I was going to be able to do something for them.

"Last summer when the Daily Prophet was reporting on Gilderoy Lockhart's adventures, I mentioned that I was surprised they were telling the truth. Shane, you had a thought. Do you remember what it was?"

Isa wandered around, straightening things up to her liking while we waited for Shane to circle through his thoughts. Wizard memories were good, but they were still only human, and as such, smaller memories were often forgotten.

"Um … I think it was something along the lines of wishing we had a paper that would tell the truth all the time," Shane murmured thoughtfully before snapping his gaze over to me.

I nodded. "But with what I think is coming, it might be best if we work behind the scenes for now."

"What do you mean?" Remus asked quietly.

I could see I had confused them. They were expecting me to jump straight in to wanting to print a paper, one that consisted of telling the truth, but I had thought about this a lot. During the Second World War, papers that reported differently than what the occupiers wanted you to say were closed down and the journalists incarcerated. They were vandalized, sometimes burnt to the ground, and I didn't want that to happen to our paper when the time came.

I explained that to them, getting their attention, and then their realization about what had happened. "I think the best thing to do would be to invite people here to publish anything they want: books, magazines etc. We need something to hide what we plan to do here."

"You want to print the truth on a simple page, don't you?" Shane stated, more than asked. "Use our contacts, and those who print here, to slip those pages into their work so it gets out there without anyone knowing where it's coming from?"

I shook my head. "Not use; I'd never use anyone. But have like-minded people here who are willing to slip that flyer into their products before distribution. I'd even like to see if we can get it into the Daily Prophet before it goes out."

"By keeping it hidden, we can keep it under the radar, which means it'll be harder for the Ministry to shut us down when they don't like what we print." Remus nodded. "I like it a lot. What do you want us to do here?"

"So what I want to do is put on a front here of an actual publishing house. Shane, I want you to run it. You'll be lead editor and will help run the front until we get busy. Sirius, you will be the main reporter. Mostly because you'll be able to use your animagus form to your advantage. Nobody is going to think twice if there's a big, black, shaggy dog hanging around. And, Remus, we know what is coming. Get in contact with anyone who will be on our side, and then contact people who would like to use our presses and allow us to slip a flyer into their product. And maybe, if you're good, get a contact inside the Prophet, so we can slip flyers into their paper, telling the truth.

"What do you think?"

It was Remus's turn to snort while shaking his head. "Edward, you and Isa are positively diabolical. I wish we'd had your cunning mind when we fought Voldemort the first time; we might have won sooner. But you're right. This is something we can do, and I already have a few ideas on who I can contact for a few of those things."

"Why me?" Shane asked. "Wouldn't Remus be better at running this place than me?"

I shook my head. "It was your thought, your realization that you wanted it, that will make you work hard to get it right. That's why you're the better person to run it. Do you need to ask why for yours, Sirius?"

"No!" He laughed. "I know I don't have the patience for running the paper, and I'm better out in the field, so reporter actually fits me. And if I live out at Hogsmeade, I'll have better and easier access to the wizarding community. Gossip runs rampant in places like that."

"Excellent!" I clapped my hands and looked over at Isa's beaming face. "Time to talk salaries."

"Salaries!" Shane and Sirius laughed. "Are you mad? I want in!"

It took me a minute to get what they were saying because their thoughts were excited. Once I did, though, I was a little concerned. "Are you sure? What if we're targeted and the ministry finds out? I'm not sure they'll come after a vampire and a Veela."

Remus nodded. He couldn't afford to buy in and was happy with a salary, but he wouldn't deny his friends. Although I had an idea about that. "I agree with Edward. We can't have you guys being sent to Azkaban after all."

"What about silent partners?" Isa piped up. "Would that work?"

I nodded thoughtfully. "It would, Isa. And, Remus, I have a plan for you to be able to buy in through a salary. You interested?"

"You bet. Let's hash out the details." Remus smiled.

We walked into the conference room and spent most of the afternoon, after ordering lunch, hashing—arguing—over how much Shane and Sirius wanted to pay to buy in, and how much of Remus's weekly wage would go to pay for his part of the deal. Eventually, at nearly dinnertime, we settled on an amount, with the agreement that we could change it later when things were better.

We all walked out of there happy.

~*~UHS~*~

I was having a quiet day at home by myself. Isa was over at Emmett and Rose's place hanging out with Neville, Harry, and Hermione. Esme was helping out at Alice's store, and Jasper was hunting—he had been craving the feel of the hunt, not so much the blood itself.

And of course, Carlisle was at St. Mungo's, starting at the bottom. He had finally taken all of the advice we'd given him, and Isa's beautiful Christmas present, and put it all to use at the hospital. The nurses, and other doctors, were so proud of him for swallowing his pride and not only admitting that he didn't know everything but for asking for help to learn everything he could. Once he'd done that, he had become a much happier person. He was learning again, and everything was new. In fact, he'd come to me with a heartfelt apology for everything he'd put not only me but all of us through over the years of repeating high school over and over again.

I was hoping that it could be the start of a new relationship for us. We'd have to wait and see.

It was a rare thing that I could read for my own enjoyment, but I was doing just that, catching up with some of my favorite authors like Matthew Reilly, Dean Koontz, and Clive Cussler. I was relaxing, reading the latest in the Jack West Jr. series, when I was interrupted by the frantic thoughts of Harry, screaming through the back yard. Instead of waiting for him to make it inside, I used my speed and met him on the back porch. Harry was out of breath when he met me, bending over and putting a hand on his knee, the other clutching his side, trying to breathe deeply. But his thoughts were still frantic.

I helped him stand to take deeper breaths, and then led him to the table and chairs on the back verandah where he sat with the fingers on his right hand starting to rub the scar on his forehead. "Harry, what is it? What's wrong?"

Harry panted for a while longer before he collapsed back against the chair he was sitting on. "We'd been watching a movie, over there, at Emmett's. I don't remember what it was because I fell asleep, but I had a dream, and it freaked me out because I don't know if it was a dream! And on top of that, I was woken up by my scar—it was hurting; it still does!"

Harry's breathing started to speed back up, he was sweating but shivering at the same time, and I could hear that his heart was racing. Harry was diving fast into a panic attack, and I could hear Isa, Hermione, and Neville approaching. I helped Harry, as best I could, into a comfortable position before getting up and walking a short distance away.

"Isa," I called to her knowing she could hear me. "Take Neville and Hermione inside. I have to help Harry through this, and he won't be able to with all of you watching. You'll be able to hear what's being said, so keep the others filled in, okay?"

_Okay, Edward. Is Harry okay?_

"He will be." I heard Isa stop and wait for the others to catch up before she led them the long way around to the front of the house. I walked back to Harry and sat down beside him. "It's okay, Harry. We'll work it out. Shh, shh." I kept whispering nonsensical calming words to him until he was able to calm down and stretch himself out. "Are you calmer now?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "Yeah, I am. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, you had a dream that you weren't sure was a dream? And you woke up because your scar started to hurt. Is that right?" Harry nodded, slowly. "Do you want to tell me or show me?"

"I think showing you might be easier because I'm not sure I fully understood it."

"We can do that. Whenever you're ready."

It took Harry a few minutes before he was calm enough to close his eyes and start to replay his dream, or whatever it was, for me to look at.

When Harry's dream started, I realized we were really close to the ground, almost upon it, but that wasn't the reason it took me so long to figure out what kind of building we were in. It was the fact that the details kept blinking in and out of focus, and when they were in focus, the image was a mash of grays, blues, and blacks. Eventually, due to the fact that I could only see objects at the last minute, I was able to make out cupboards, chairs, a table, and even a rug on the floor. That made it easier to ascertain we were in a house—the kitchen, if I was correct—and that it was very old because it looked like it had been in disrepair for a long time.

After some time, sounds came into focus. It seemed that whatever we were seeing through, its hearing was much better than its eyesight. There was a low hissing pop sound and muffled steps pacing that seemed to be coming from above us, but the one that caught the creature's interest was a plonk-shuffle-plonk noise that was coming from the left of where we lay. We listened for a few moments before an almost silent squeal came from the same direction of the shuffling.

All off a sudden, there was a large, bright yellow, orange, and red blob in our field of vision. It took me a few blinks of sight to work out that we were seeing what a human would look like if we were to see them through a heat imager. _No wonder Harry was confused._ The blob moved slowly, as if trying to make the least amount of noise possible. But what I noticed was that it had a hunched form and seemed to be balancing on what looked to be a cane; all of this told me that the person—probably male—sneaking into this house was quite elderly.

The animal lay in wait until the human had passed it, then it picked up its head and slowly, ever so slowly, moved along behind the human. What struck me as odd, at first, was how the animal moved. It seemed to glide across the floor in a side-to-side motion. Well, it was odd until I figured out we were seeing through the eyes of a very large snake.

It all made sense now, how the sight flickered in and out. How most of it was viewed through what looked like a heat sensor, and how you could only make out the details of things around you at the last second. It all coincided with a snake sensing the world around him, or her, with their tongue. It also made sense that the hearing was better than what a human would have, but only just.

That was never more obvious as we silently and slowly followed the older gentleman up an old flight of stairs. The higher we got, the clearer the sounds that had come from above us became. Starting with the hissing pop sounds of what I now recognized as a fireplace in use. And the muffled steps? Pacing? Were exactly that. As the old man rounded the corner on the stairs and began the last flight up, he paused, then shuffled closer as quietly as he could. The reason being that we could now hear voices coming from behind the door that was cracked in front of us.

"There is a little more in the bottle, my Lord. If you are still hungry," said a slimy, shaking, male voice. One that was distinctly familiar.

"Later," another male voice replied, strangely high-pitched and as cold as a blast of icy wind. "Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail."

_God, no. He didn't really go back to Voldemort. Surely we didn't release him to his master. _I closed my eyes both to hide the regret from Harry and to concentrate more on what he was showing me.

There was the plonk of a bottle and the scraping of a chair being moved before the cold voice of Voldemort spoke again. "Where is Nagini?"

"I-I don't know, my Lord," Pettigrew replied nervously. "She set out to explore the house, I think …"

Lord Voldemort interrupted Pettigrew's rambling. "You will milk her before we retire. I will need feeding in the night. The journey has tired me greatly."

The snake, who I now thought might be Nagini, watched as the old gentleman leaned closer to the open door to hear better what was being said.

"My Lord, may I ask how long we are going to stay here?"

Lord Voldemort's cold voice hummed, as if he were thinking about his answer. "A week, perhaps more. This place is … moderately comfortable, but the plan cannot proceed until the Quidditch World Cup."

I snickered quietly to myself when the poor gentleman in front of us stuck his finger in his ear, no doubt trying to figure out what he had heard. And then I watched him do it again, and harder, when Wormtail asked about the Quidditch World Cup before stating that he didn't understand why they were waiting until the Cup was over.

"Because, fool," Voldemort hissed, "very soon, wizards from all over the world will be pouring into the country, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty. They'll be watching for any unusual activity, checking, double-checking, and triple-checking all identities. The Ministry will be obsessed with security lest the muggles notice anything. For that reason, we wait."

For a few minutes, everything was quiet, apart from the shuffling of things being moved around in the room in front of us. Then, once again, Pettigrew spoke. "Your Lordship is still determined, then? I-I mean there is another way, a way without Harry Potter."

"Wormtail, I am determined. And without Harry Potter … Hmm, I see …"

"My Lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy! The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all! It is merely that if we were to use another witch or wizard—any wizard—the thing could be done so much more quickly. If you allowed me to leave you for a short while, I could be back here in as little as two days because you know I can disguise myself most effectively …"

"I could use another wizard, this is true. But I wonder, Wormtail, if this eagerness to leave, to fetch a substitute, is because you have grown weary of nursing me? Could this suggestion of abandonment be nothing more than a plan to desert me?" Voldemort growled.

I had never heard anyone back-pedal, and suck up, faster than Pettigrew when he was trying to keep his boss-man from being mad at him. If it weren't so sad, it would have been funny.

"Do not lie to me!" Voldemort hissed. "I can always tell, Wormtail! You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I disgust you. I can see you flinch every time you look at me and feel you shudder when you touch me! You are here out of cowardice and nothing more. Because I know that if you had anywhere else to go, you would not be here. But …" He sighed. "I need you. Who else would feed me every few hours? Who would milk Nagini?"

"But you seem so much stronger, my Lord …"

I could hear Voldemort breath harshly through his nose. "You are a liar! I am no stronger, and a few days alone would rob me of what strength I do have. Silence!" He growled before he continued. "I have my reasons for using the boy, as I have already explained to you. I will use no other! I have waited thirteen years; a few more months will make no difference. It matters not the protection surrounding him because I believe my plan will work. As long as you have a little courage, Wormtail, unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Voldemort's wrath …"

We watched the older gentleman listen for a few more minutes as Pettigrew and Voldemort continued to talk about a witch who had gone missing, thanks to them. Lord Voldemort mentioned that he had another servant who was smarter, cleverer, than Wormtail could ever hope to be, even if Wormtail had found Voldemort himself.

I saw the moment the gentleman in front of us worked out that these two had plans to kill Harry because he twitched, as if preparing himself to make his way out of the hallway. And I'm sure he would have had Voldemort not spoken again. Only this time, what he said really caught my attention.

"One more curse … my faithful servant at Hogwarts … Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail. It is decided, and there will not be more argument. Quiet! I think I hear Nagini …"

With the sound of its name, the large snake we were still seeing through started her path up the final stairs and past the gentleman who had frozen at the sight of us. As the snake passed him, Lord Voldemort started hissing in what I knew was Parseltongue. "Come, Nagini, we have things to discuss." Voldemort paused while we spoke to him as we made our way in through the open door. "Nagini has some interesting news, Wormtail."

We slithered into the room, around a large armchair, before we curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace.

"In-indeed, my Lord?"

"According to Nagini, the old muggle caretaker, Frank Bryce, is standing right outside this room, and he has heard every word we have said. Invite him in."

Pettigrew wrenched open the door, almost causing the man behind it to fall through, before he pulled him inside.

"Spin my chair around, Wormtail." Nagini lifted its head in time to see the grimace on Pettigrew's face before he spun the chair around. We didn't get to see what Lord Voldemort looked like as the chair was already turned when I focused back on it. But whatever the man saw made him scream, scream so loud that even Nagini's hearing didn't pick up when either Lord Voldemort or Pettigrew cast Avada Kedavra. All Nagini saw was the bright green light flash before the old man fell to the floor.

I was pulled violently out of Harry's dream, or vision, and back to the veranda on our house. Harry was sitting there, staring nervously at me. "That was when I woke up with my scar screaming at me. What do you think?"

I sighed, slumping back in my seat across from Harry. "I don't know. I'm not sure if it was a vision or a dream, but I think we need to find out what happened to him."

"What do you think happened to him?" Harry asked, although from his tone of voice, I think he already knew.

"That flash of green light said it all. Poor Frank is dead."

Harry nodded and looked out over the back yard. "If we're going to look for Frank Bryce and what happened to him, where do we start?"

"I think …" A voice interrupted us from the back door, causing me to smile my girl's way.

"The best place to start should be the last place we should look, the last place Voldemort would expect us to look."

"Where's that, pretty girl?"

"Little Hangleton. Home of Tom Riddle the first."

~*~UHS~*~

_The conversation between Voldemort and Wormtail/Pettigrew was borrowed from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter one, Pages 12 – 19. I have changed some of it around to fit my purposes._

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**So? We're back to it, and things are already starting out with a bang. I cannot wait to see what you all think of the beginning of this one.**

**See you Tuesday in my facebook group for teasers, or in a fortnight with a new chapter!**


	3. Chapter Two - Summer Part II

**Oh my gosh! The response to the first two chapters was ... overwhelming! I haven't had that many replies for the start of a story, ever. Thank you so much! I hope that I can only hope that the rest of the story lives up to your standards. **

**Before you get to reading, I just want to wish you all a safe and Happy Easter, if you celebrate. If you don't, enjoy the public holidays! And that goes double for my awesome pre-reader, Pienuniek, and my beta, Sally Hopkinson. Thank you.**

**I don't own Harry Potter or Twilight they belong to JK Rowling and SM, respectively. No copyright infringement is intended. **

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**Chapter Two ~ Summer Part II**

Unfortunately for Harry, we were unable to start our research into Frank Bryce straight away. That was due mostly to the fact that, while Emmett and Rose had set up their house to be both muggle and magic, most of the muggle equipment we had stored was now too old to do what we wanted it to do. We had decided that the best way to research Frank was to do it via the computer rather than taking a trip to Little Hangleton.

But a new computer wasn't the only muggle thing that was needed. No, there were many more, like the salt lamps Isa needed to make her Bubble Lamps, plus other things she wanted to experiment with. The biggest being her MP3 player. She wanted to see if she could make it run on magic instead of batteries. Though I had a feeling she would damage several in her quest to make it work, so we thought we'd buy some more.

So instead of travelling into London to get the things we needed, we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone. And that was how Neville, Harry, Hermione, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Isa, and I found ourselves taking a portkey and landing a safe distance from Chicago. James, Carlisle, and Rosalie had to stay behind to work, and Esme offered to watch Alice's store so she could come too. Kreacher had popped on ahead of us—with a box full of furniture and things we had taken with us to London, after I had shared the location of my house—to clean it up and prepare for our arrival. Thanks to the fact that Remus and Sirius had also come with us meant we would be able to take a portkey back home when we were ready because shopping wasn't the only thing we wanted to do while we were in the States.

"How are we going to get to your home, Edward?" Remus asked when we landed.

"The great thing about people in the States is that for the right amount of money, they'll do just about anything." I pointed to a spot behind Remus and Sirius. "Businesses are no different. I organized a local car hire place to leave three SUVs here earlier today."

"Smart, Teddy. Now are you going to fill everyone else in on what we're going to do here over the next few days?" Isa rolled her eyes before laughing. "Besides shop, Alice!"

Alice burst out into loud laughter as we walked to the cars. "I wasn't going to say anything!"

"Liar!" We all shouted before I continued. "Isa and I talked, and we've decided to grant a wish Emmett and Jasper have had for a long, long time. In a couple of days, we're going to take a flight out to Salt Lake City, then a short drive out to the Great Salt Lake Desert."

"What are we doing there?" Sirius asked before Emmett could. He was just as excited.

I smirked. "We're going to see how fast Isa and I are in our leopard forms. But to do this, we need to have a baseline to work against."

"That means we're finally going to be able to test how fast you can run as a vampire!" Emmett and Jasper cheered, which caused everyone else to laugh.

"This is something they've wanted?" Hermione asked quietly from beside Isa.

I chuckled quietly watching Jasper and Emmett dance ridiculously. "Yeah, for as long as I can remember. I never entertained the idea before because I had a 'giant stick up my ass' to quote Emmett."

"In all fairness," Emmett yelled, "I do believe that was the Obscurial before; at least now, I believe that! You're so much more fun now."

I nodded. "I agree. I feel better, lighter, than before. And that's why I'm even doing this," I lowered my voice to a whisper so just Isa, Hermione, Neville, and Harry could hear. "And I may just be this curious now, where I never was before."

The four of them laughed at my comment as we climbed into the rented SUV. I had all the younger ones with me, Jasper was just with Alice, while Sirius and Remus climbed into the third one with Emmett. I played the radio while we made our way to my home in Chicago. It was something we needed at home. I knew there was a station that played music from the wizarding world; I just hadn't found a radio in our manor. Something to work on when I got home. It would be nice to have music around again.

Those who had never been outside of London, even Harry who had spent time in Forks, were fascinated by the differences between Chicago and London. London was a much larger place than Chicago to begin with, but it was more than just that. Chicago had many more skyscrapers, but it wasn't just the buildings that had them enraptured. Once we made it through the city, it was the differences in how the houses were spaced out that caught Neville's and Hermione's attention.

"You have space between your houses? They aren't joined?" Neville asked.

I shook my head. "There are some in the city that are like that, and apartment buildings, that are placed right next to one another, but in the suburbs, we have full yards, including space on either side of the buildings."

"It's definitely different," Hermione whispered. "You grew up here?"

"I did. At least, until the flu epidemic that hit in 1918. It killed both my parents, and it almost killed me. If it weren't for Carlisle turning me, I would have died, and I never would have met Isa." I looked over at my girl. "It's not something I can regret, ever."

"Love you, too, Edward."

They were all quiet again, at least in word, until we got to my neighborhood. But nobody directly spoke to me until I pulled into my driveway. _I love this place, Edward. It feels relaxing to be back here again. _Isa sighed. _We need to come here more often once we've finished school._

"We could make it a holiday home? Come during the summers, or whenever we feel like it?"

Isa looked up at me with a beautiful smile. _That sounds like a fantastic idea. I don't ever want you to lose this connection with your parents._

"It's why Carlisle kept it for me in the first place. He was right about that."

_At least, he did right by you with this. _"I can't wait to see Kreacher!" Isa squealed, jumping out of the car.

"But you only saw him this morning!" Jasper yelled.

"And!" Isa yelled back, flying up to the front door and bursting through it. "Kreacher! You made it safely!"

The old house elf chuckled. "Kreacher did, Miss Bella. And you have too. Kreacher has placed the luggage in the appropriate rooms and has unpacked you and Master Edward in his parents' room. Everything has been cleaned and is ready for all of your guests."

We walked in the front door as Isa wrapped her arms around the elf. "Thank you, Kreacher. We'd be lost without you."

I chuckled as Kreacher blushed. He loved the attention Isa heaped on him, but it embarrassed him also. Mostly because he was one of the few who were treated the way she treated him. "Thank you, Miss Bella. Kreacher must go check on lunch."

"You really shouldn't embarrass him like that, Bella. He might melt into the ground one day." Alice laughed.

"No way!" Isa exclaimed, causing laughs to burst out around the house. "What are we doing today, Teddy?"

"We're gonna relax for a few hours to make sure those who haven't travelled great distances don't have any adverse effects, then after lunch, we'll do some shopping. Emmett has to hit up an electronics store, then a computer store. Isa, you need somewhere that sells your salt lamps, and then if we have some time, we might do some sightseeing," I told everyone. "Sound good?"

There were murmurs of agreement from everyone before we all settled in to do our own things. Emmett flopped on the couch and switched on the TV after he hooked it up, and several others sat down with him. Alice sat at the table and pulled out her pad and pencils to design some more clothes for her store while Jasper found some books in the library to read. I decided I was just going to sit in one of the chairs and rest with my eyes closed. I could monitor everything going on while just enjoying the sense of family.

It was a short while later that my thoughts were interrupted by none other than Isa. They had been watching some cop show on the TV when she had a question. "Hey, Em, what are they wearing?"

I opened my eyes and looked over to see that she was pointing at the television.

"The black vest things?" Emmett clarified, to Isa's nod. "They're bulletproof vests. They're supposed to stop the chest and stomach area from being shot by a gun. Why?"

"I think I need some of those," my girl murmured.

I frowned as I sat up straight, trying to figure out what her thoughts were leading to. "Why, Isa? They don't stop magic spells."

By this time, everyone had turned to watch our conversation.

Isa looked directly at me as she answered, and I saw the original vision Alice had of the graveyard and me being hit by the killing curse. "They will when I'm through with them. Are there some that aren't as bulky?"

Emmett and Jasper went on to explain the types of bulletproof vests that were on the market, but it was Alice's gasp that caught my attention. Alice fell into a replay of the original vision. Harry and I landed in the graveyard, holding some sort of cup, only to be confronted by Pettigrew and his odd-looking bundle of clothes. The vision finished in the same place with me being hit by the killing curse and falling to the ground with my eyes wide open and frozen in place.

Even though Dumbledore had promised that particular curse couldn't kill me, it was still disconcerting to see myself look that way. This vision hadn't been clear, kinda foggy, but enough to make out what had happened.

As soon as that vision had ended, Alice slipped into another one. Once again, Harry and I landed in the graveyard with the trophy or cup we had been holding. We both look around trying to determine what was going on. The vision centered on me, and I could see that I was wearing a lightweight type of bulletproof vest that had been made into a uniform of sorts so it didn't stand out against my clothes. I was also wearing cargo pants, long sleeves to hide my gauntlet, and what looked like steel cap boots. But the biggest difference in this vision—apart from it being really clear—was that when Pettigrew shot the killing curse at me, I was thrown, but it absorbed into the vest instead of knocking me unconscious, or whatever it was it had done to me previously. I was still awake, still breathing—ever so slightly—and most importantly, still conscious.

Alice and I snapped out of her vision to see that everyone had turned to us. Well, Isa had come to me, and Jasper to Alice, but everyone else was watching us.

"What did you see?" Remus asked.

"It seems that Isa is going to be able to make a bulletproof vest into something that will protect Edward from the killing curse," Alice said in awe of her little sister. "Guess we'll be getting something else when we go shopping."

~*~UHS~*~

"Why can't we use a portkey?" Hermione whispered from behind Isa. We were standing in line at the counter, checking in for our flight to Salt Lake City.

Isa spun to reply. "Because I want to take an airplane!"

"That's not the only reason." I chuckled. "Several of you have never been on one before, and who knows when we'll get another opportunity to show you. Besides, it's only a few hours; I promise things will be okay."

I could tell that a few of them were nervous about flying on a plane. Mostly Neville, Hermione, and surprisingly Remus. That was until I realized we hadn't gone anywhere on a plane while they were living with us. Isa, Harry, and Sirius were excited to check out more of the muggle technology we had explored over the last few days.

While we'd been out shopping and exploring places and things around Chicago, we'd shown them many different pieces of technology. Almost all of them we'd given up to move into the wizarding world. Isa was amazed, so much so, that she'd asked me to buy several different types for her to experiment on. She was hoping she'd eventually be able to bring the wizarding world forward a little. So on top of her MP3 players and salt lamps, I'd bought her a case of Nokia 8310s, several Victorian Rotary Phones, and even a couple of phones that connected straight to a switchboard. I had no idea how she planned to get any of them to work.

We'd also managed to get Isa a lightweight Kevlar vest she was going to use to make sure the killing curse wouldn't be able to affect me. What I loved about the vest was that it looked like an actual suit vest. It was black and had buttons down the front to do it up, and while it held its shape really well, you could fold it to some degree. Although that didn't matter too much because we weren't taking it through any detectors. Kreacher had left with most of our luggage this morning before we left for the airport. We'd brought the things we'd need for the couple of days in Salt Lake City, from there we'd head home.

Most everyone settled down once we were in the air. I couldn't help but chuckle at Isa and Neville. They had their eyes glued to the world outside their windows like they'd never been up on a broom before. But when I pointed that out to Isa, her reply made me stop and think. She told me that, yes, she'd been up on a broom, but it was nowhere near as high as where we were currently. The one person I was worried about, however, was Hermione. She was sitting on the aisle side of me hanging on for dear life.

"What's going on, Hermione? You've flown on a broom before."

"Yes, and I didn't like that much either. Flying doesn't seem to agree with me," she whispered.

I pried her hand off the armrest closest to me and held it between my own. "I promise it is going to be okay. I've flown this way hundreds of times, and there has never been a problem." Hermione snorted and gave me a sardonic look. "Okay, there has never been a problem when I've flown." I lowered to a whisper and leaned down to talk into her ear. "Besides between the vampires and the fully grown wizards, do you honestly think we'd let anything happen to any of you?"

I watched as Hermione thought about that, and before my eyes, she relaxed in small increments until she had let go of the armrests and closed her eyes. "No. None of you would let anything happen to us. Thank you, Edward."

"You're welcome, little sis."

For the rest of the three-hour flight, we spoke quietly about what we were going to do the following day. For tonight, we were going to relax in our hotel room because we'd been on the go for the last few days. Neville and Isa had their eyes glued to the windows the whole time but managed to keep up a semblance of conversation.

The following day, Jasper, Emmett, and yes, I had everyone up early. I was just as excited as the other two about testing our speed. It had been wonderful having that Obscurial removed from my body. I felt better, happier, about my life. Even though I had forgiven myself for my rebellious period, I had often lamented on it before the Obscurial. Now after, I found that I didn't lament anymore. I accepted it for what it was and could see Isa's point about saving people, better than I had before. So, my life was better now because it was gone.

"Teddy," Isa whined as she came out into the family room area of the suite we were in. "Why are we up so early?"

"Because you had a good night's sleep, because we want to get an early start today, because we have to pick up all the equipment for today. Take your pick?" I laughed.

"Besides, Bella, it's not that early," Sirius said from the other side of the room. "It's after eight, after all."

"And we've ordered you breakfast," Remus joined in.

"Hmph," Isa grumbled as she sat in a chair at the table with Hermione, Neville, and Harry. The rest of us had already eaten. "Thank you."

I watched her while she loaded her plate up and studiously avoided eye contact with me. "What's wrong, Isa?"

Isa sighed before taking a bite of her pancake. _I don't know. I just feel funny this morning. Off. And it makes me wonder …_

I could see what she was thinking. During the last few months of school, and more so over the last couple of weeks, Isa had developed. Her body had begun to change and fill out. Jasper had noticed, and of course that had made me notice. Although, the plus side to that was that at the moment, I could observe her as a family member should. Those curves didn't do anything for me yet, and for that, I was very grateful. Isa wouldn't be turning 14 until September, so she was still way too young for anything I'd heard other kids doing in muggle schools at that age, and it would stay that way for a long while—I hoped.

But at this moment in time, Isa was wondering if her body was changing more than she thought. She was wondering if the talk that she, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna had last summer was coming to fruition. If she was changing from the young girl she'd been, until now, into the next phase of her transition.

_Do you think?_

I sat down next to her at the table and pulled her into my side, kissing the top of her head. "Would that be such a bad thing, sweetheart?"

Isa thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. _No, I don't think so. It's just scary._

"Changes can be scary, but this is a normal part of growing up for a young girl. All of you will be going through it, and as your family, we won't make a big deal out of it. But maybe before we go today, Alice should take you and Hermione shopping. Better to be prepared for any eventuality?"

I looked over to Alice, who nodded in agreement._ It won't be today but soon. I can't tell exactly when. Same for Hermione._

_I think that's a good idea._ Isa looked up at me._ She already agreed, didn't she?_

"She did," I chuckled.

"I wish I could call Mum."

I smirked. "Well, maybe one day you can! You just need to make it all work."

That seemed to break the tension that had fallen over the room, and everyone chuckled. All of the men—not boys—in the room had figured out what Isa and I were talking about from the small bits and pieces I had said, but Neville and Harry stayed blissfully ignorant. I know Carlisle had had a talk with them last summer because, lucky for me, he'd pulled me in with them both. Draco had been included, and even Fred and George. Ron didn't show up, so I wasn't sure what or when he had been told. I had tried to argue my way out of it, but Carlisle had insisted that I had never had the talk with my dad, and he'd been right, so it was only right to have it with me.

It was after that conversation that Emmett and Jasper pulled me aside and had the big brother talk with me about dating their baby sister. I could hear Isa cracking up laughing from her laboratory because she could hear every word. I thought it was ridiculous, but I did it for her because it was a rite of passage, and she was enjoying it.

After breakfast, I kissed Isa, Hermione, and Alice on the head before they walked out the door, promising to meet us out at the empty salt lake we'd agreed on.

"Ready, fellas?" Emmett asked as soon as they were gone, to which he received loud cheers. "Then let's go!"

We were all noisily chatting, as boys tend to do when they are about to do something exciting, while we made our way down to the front desk. We'd organized a few more rental cars for us. Alice had taken one, so us boys piled into the other two before making our way to the company we were hiring the equipment from. Once we'd done that, we headed out of town to the Great Salt Lake Desert. The car ride out there was awesome. I'd never had so much fun with my brothers before. And I was right in there making bets, trash talking, and just being—what I would have considered before—an idiot.

I couldn't believe I'd missed out on this before. Bloody Obscurial.

The girls arrived at the place we'd chosen once we had our station set up, which of course they got ribbed for, leaving us with all the work.

"So how is this going to work?" Remus asked from under the temporary gazebo we'd set up. All those who burnt easily were perched there.

"That's easy." Jasper began, pointing to a laptop. "You boys were with us earlier when we collected everything. You would have noticed the blue and green flags, plus those huge coils of wire that took up the whole back compartment of the car." The boys nodded. "For this to work, we need two 'tracks', if you will, with different sets of flags. If you look out your binoculars, you will see twelve flags, four blue and eight green." This time everyone nodded after looking through their binoculars. "Each pair of green flags have an infrared beam that runs between them, for Edward and Bella to break, for accurate start and finish times. But to be able to read those, we had to connect them to the laptops and …"

"And that's where those large coils of wire come in," Harry interrupted. "Okay, I follow that, but why did you need the beams?"

Jasper nodded with Harry's question. "Very good, Harry. We needed the beams because, at the distance we have them placed, reaction time would have been slower than would be practical. In other words"—when Jasper saw their confused expressions he explained—"we wouldn't be able to accurately judge when Edward ran past the flags to get the correct start and finish times."

"So you need something out there to accurately measure start and finish. And the best way to do that is for Edward and Bella to run through a beam, connected to the computer," Sirius finished before hitting Remus in the arm. "Ha! See all those lessons in the muggle world finally paid off!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at Sirius and Remus who started fighting much like Jasper and Emmett do. They were alike in so many ways.

"We've marked out a distance of two kilometers—the farthest blue flag—which Emmett will drive Edward out to. When Bella calls go, Edward will have five hundred meters to get to his top speed, and when he passes the first set of green flags, the computer will mark the start of his run and will finish when he passes the second set of green flags. Those green flags are a kilometer apart, and then he has another five hundred meters to slow down, which will bring him back to here. Bella will use the second set of flags when they both start testing their leopard forms," Jasper finished explaining.

"We'll do that a few times, just to get the speed correct. Then after that, it'll be time to test both Bella and Edward in their leopard forms. For that, Alice will drive them out while Jasper and I set up with both laptops." Emmett held up his. "Any questions?"

"So what are we supposed to do?" Hermione asked as she sat back in her seat a little.

I laughed. "Enjoy the show! Cheer for your favorite to win! Take your pick, all of the above."

"Sounds fun! But I think Bella will be faster than you!" Harry got in on it. And of course, once he did, it started the trash talking and betting all over again.

It took us a half an hour of shouting, screaming, laughing, and betting to get it all down. Even Alice was in on the action because she couldn't see who was going to win. I can't imagine what the twins would have done had they been here.

Once we were done, Emmett and I clambered into one of the cars, and he drove me the two kilometers that we'd agreed on.

"Thank you for this, Edward. It's been so good to get to know this side of you," Emmett said seriously, stopping me from getting out of the car.

"It really has. I'm enjoying life so much more. Now, enough of the mushy, let's get racing!" I jumped out of the car and waited for Emmett to make his way back to the finishing point.

I knew every single one of the spectators had binoculars to watch me getting closer, so for their entertainment I did some stretches. Everything from squats, to touching my toes, to stretching my legs. I could hear all their laughter through Isa, and it made me smile. I didn't know that being a ham could be so fun. I played it up a little bit more by swinging my arms around before taking a racer's stance.

_All right, Teddy, I can see you!_ Isa called to me. _Just waiting for Jasper to calibrate everything—or so he says—before he's ready. _

I watched as she showed me what Jasper was doing. He was being a total ham too.

_Okay. Jasper is ready. You are ready and everyone is using their binoculars. On your marks … get set … go!_

I took off the instant Isa said go, using that first five hundred meters to my advantage and working up to my top speed. I was there just before the first green flag. I flashed past it, breaking the beam. It had been so long since I was able to get to this speed that it felt like I was flying. To continue to entertain, I threw my hands up in the air in a winning gesture as I passed the second green flag, causing everyone to break out into laughter again. The last five hundred meters passed in the blink of an eye, so I was standing in front of them rather quickly. Everyone was quiet, even Isa, all looking at Jasper to see what the results would be.

"Jesus, Edward. These readings can't be right!" Jasper said in awe. "We definitely need to run you again."

With Jasper's words, everyone started making exclamations of their own. Most were amazed by how quickly I'd made the trek over a kilometer, and I couldn't say I blamed them because I was just as amazed.

"What were the readings, Jasper?" I asked, leaning over his shoulder to see. "No," I breathed. "I wasn't that fast surely?"

"According to this, you were. I'm thinking I'll get Emmett to run the next test, just to make sure I did it right," Jasper answered.

Sirius couldn't stand it anymore. "Well, come on, man, don't keep us in suspense!"

Isa slipped up in between Jasper and the computer, tilted her beautiful head to the side to read the information, before turning to look at everyone else. "It seems Edward's top speed was four hundred and twenty-five kilometers per hour. And he covered that one kilometer in eight seconds." She looked at me. "That's really fast, Teddy."

Everyone's mouths had dropped open at Isa's words. But it was Harry who broke the silence. "Well, no wonder you were still a blur, even running straight at us. I can't wait to see it again!"

I laughed at his description before getting in the car with Jasper this time. For the next half hour or so, we tested, and retested, my results, and each time, they came back the same. In eight seconds flat, I could cover a kilometer. Which meant I ran at four hundred and twenty-five kilometers an hour. It was unbelievable, but irrefutable, because the proof was there on the computer.

"Hey, Jasper? Can we print those before we delete everything from the laptop?" I asked while we were waiting around for him to add the second laptop to the system.

"Yup. I've had one sent to our hotel room. We'll go back there to print before I return the gear."

"I was going to copy them onto my new laptop too, Edward. Don't worry, we won't lose them." Emmett slapped me on the back.

I smiled. "Excellent. I want to be able to show everyone else when we get home."

We chatted for a little bit longer while waiting for Jasper and Emmett to be ready. The bets were still flying around, especially now that they knew we were faster in our leopard forms. They thought because Isa was younger, she would be faster than me. Neither of us could answer because we hadn't reached our top speeds before.

"Okay, okay," Emmett called out, interrupting our friendly bantering. "The computers are almost ready. Are you two gonna change here or down there at the start?"

"I think I'll wait," Isa answered. "We don't want to ruin the inside of the car."

I nodded in agreement.

Alice clapped. "Great. Well, let's get going then!" She climbed up into the driver's side of the SUV she drove here while Isa and I followed—Isa in the back. "Are you nervous about this test?"

"Nope!" Isa said popping the "p". She leaned forward in between the seats. "I'm looking forward to doing this. In fact, I'd like to see how fast everyone is. Jasper, Emmett, you; even Sirius and Remus. Do you think they would?"

"It would be cool to find out," Alice murmured. "I'll mention it when I get back. Who are you listening for this time, Edward?"

"Oh, anyone. Let one of the younger ones call it. They can duke it out, and we'll see who wins." Isa and Alice laughed at my thoughts but agreed with me.

"Here we are. Good luck to both of you!" Alice said before she smirked. "But go, Isa! We girls wanna win!"

"Ha! She's going to take it easy on me. Aren't you, baby girl?"

Isa laughed, climbing out of the car. "Not a chance in hell! Come on, old man, let's show them what we've got!"

"I'll give you old man!" I dove out of the car, chasing her around and giving Alice time to make it back to the finish line. I caught Isa and tickled her for a bit before I let her go to catch her breath. Wouldn't want her too tired for the test. "You ready?"

"Ready."

We both closed our eyes and pictured our leopard forms. A few second later, we were staring at each other. Isa in her younger cub version, which was fluffier and cuter than I was. And me, in my adult version with my courser fur and more lithe body.

_Pfft lithe. I'm gonna be faster than you!_ Isa taunted.

_Oh, I don't think so. I'm built with the need, the need for speed._

Isa's cat-like face frowned at me, causing me to laugh. _I have no idea what that means._

_Doesn't matter. It's one of those ridiculous games Emmett has played over the years._

_Oh. Well then._ To prove how young she was, Isa spun and flicked her tail at me before turning back to me and sticking out her tongue.

_Real mature, Isa. Real mature._

_Are you two done playing around? _I heard Hermione call out. It seemed she had won the chance to tell us when to go. _We're almost ready here._

I informed Isa that they were almost ready, so we took our running stances at the makeshift starting line.

Once again, I heard Hermione in my head. _I'm not going to countdown because Bella can't hear me, so that's not fair. But I will tell you that Jasper and Emmett are now ready. So whenever you're ready, you can countdown for the both of you._

_All right, Isa, are you ready? I'm gonna countdown when you are._

Isa's furry head nodded._ Ready when you are._

_Good. Three … two … one … go!_

We both launched off the starting line, using the power from our rear legs. We took our time winding up to our full speed, mostly because we wanted to use it all for the kilometer sprint we had for our speed test. But once we passed that first set of green flags, we were both going full out.

I may have been faster than Isa, but she certainly held her own, and we were both faster than me in my vampire form because things were even blurry to me unless I focussed on a specific spot or person.

_This is sooooo aaawwwwesssssooooommmeeee!_ I could hear Isa cheer from behind me. _I never knew I could run so fast!_

I chuckled at her excitement but kept running. The second set of green flags were in sight, and I couldn't wait to see what our speed was. We both pulled to a stop in front of Jasper and Emmett, who had their mouths wide open. I was about to transform and ask why when the sound of a sonic boom reached my ears, coming from behind me.

I spun around to look, to see if there was anything else that could have made the noise, only to be confronted by absolutely nothing. I'd transformed back to myself by the time I'd turned around, my mouth hanging open as well.

"That can't be right. I only ran at four hundred and twenty-five kilometers per hour as me. It's not possible we beat the sound barrier as leopards!"

Emmett spun the laptop around to face me. "You might not think so, but the data says differently."

"Sound barrier?" Several voices around us asked.

"Over the years, due to increasing technology, muggles have been able to measure how fast sound travels. Going faster than that means that you break the sound barrier—you're traveling faster than the speed of sound," Jasper explained in awe, going over the data.

Neville was the one to ask the follow-up question. "So how fast is the speed of sound?"

"Um …" Alice was quickly working it out. "On a day like today, with good calm weather that isn't too hot, sound travels at about twelve hundred and thirty-five kilometers per hour. Considering the gap between when Edward and Isa arrived here, and the time we heard the sonic boom, they were considerably faster than the speed of sound."

There was a series of "whoas" and "damns" and a few not so nice words that I won't repeat. But Isa and I were quiet; we couldn't believe what was going on.

Isa stood next to me and grabbed my hand. _Were we really that fast?_

"It seems so. But we'll wait for Jasper and Emmett to finish compiling the data," I whispered before I raised my voice. "So who won the bet? Besides me?"

That stopped the silence that had descended on us and got everyone debating again, which was a relief to be honest. I'm not sure I wanted to know the answer to how fast we were because it just seemed too fantastical.

"Okay, okay!" Jasper raised his voice over the noise of everyone debating. "We've got the speed for both Bella and Edward, but for my peace of mind, I want them to run at least one more time." He turned to us. "Do you guys mind?" We both shook our heads. "Good. Alice if you please?"

"Sure, Jasper."

The three of us climbed back into the SUV and drove out the two kilometers in silence. It was Alice's "I certainly didn't see that coming" when we arrived there that caused us to laugh, almost hysterically. I mean, who would have thought.

Isa and I changed forms in silence. But once we were there, I could see her thoughts, and she was in the same position as me.

_We can't let anyone outside our circle know this. Could you imagine if someone like Voldemort got a hold of this information? _Isa thought as she looked at me.

I nodded in agreement. _I can only imagine what someone like him would do to have this kind of speed on his side._

_He'd use each of us and our family against us, Edward. And there would be nothing we could do but to do what he wants. This scares me._

I walked over to Isa, my beautiful girl, and rubbed my face along the side of hers, trying to comfort her. _Me too, Bella. Me too._

_You called me Bella._ She looked up at me in surprise. _I like it. A lot. Maybe … maybe you could call me that, but use Isa when we're alone._

_I can do that. I like it when you call me Edward, too. Maybe save Teddy for when it's just us?_

_Yeah, something just for us. Love you, Edward._

_Love you, too, Bella. _

_Are you two ready? _This time Harry was the one to ask. It seemed they were going to take turns letting us know. I turned toward the finish line and nodded my head. _On your count, we're ready here._

_Ready, Bella? _I saw her nod in my peripheral vision. _Three … two … one … go!_

This time, there was no hesitation on our part to get to our top speed. In fact, I think, we were even pushing harder to get this one done as soon as possible. The talk about our speed being used by Voldemort had put me on edge, and if what I was hearing from Bella's thoughts, she was thinking much the same.

In no time, we were standing in front of everyone once again. The others were celebrating the fact that we had run just as fast as before, but Bella and I were quiet. Her thought weighing heavy on us. In fact, I was pretty sure she no longer wanted to see how fast everyone else was. All I knew was that I wanted to get home, back to the safety of the Manor where nobody was able to find us but those who knew.

The only person to notice our preoccupation was Remus. Instead of celebrating, he made his way over to stand next to me. "What's going on in those heads of yours? You guys are clinging to each other like there's no tomorrow."

I looked down, as Bella looked up, to see that Remus was correct. We were wrapped around each other. I hadn't even noticed that we'd done that, and from her thoughts, neither had she.

"So … what's going on?" Remus asked again.

I wasn't going to answer but Isa seemed to think the others needed to hear this because they were still celebrating. "Voldemort would love to get a hold of this information. Imagine what he could do with two fast—really fast—unregistered animagi on his team. Willing or not."

The quiet that descended on our tent was deafening. Not one person had thought about it. In fact, from what I could hear from Neville and Harry, they had been ready to spread our speed all over Hogwarts. But Bella's comments stopped their thoughts cold.

"You're right, Bella," Sirius said stepping forward. "This is the kind of information he lived for. Back then, he wouldn't have hesitated to try to capture at least one of you, if not both. This information could be very dangerous in the wrong hands."

"What is the information?" Neville whispered. "How fast are they?"

Jasper cleared his throat, a very human gesture that showed he was nervous. "According to the data, Edward, you clocked in at seventeen hundred kilometers per hour—four times your speed as a vampire. You covered that one-kilometer distance in two seconds, and, Bella, you came in just a little slower at sixteen hundred kilometers per hour. Going by that, Bella should run at only just slower than you, a respectable four hundred kilometers per hour when on two legs.

"But you guys are right, speaking from a strategy standpoint, keeping all of this secret is paramount. Much like Sirius and the others kept their animagus forms secret, and now with Remus changing forms too, it all needs to stay in our group. I'd hate to think what would happen should this get out, how hard the other side would fight to get a hold of any of you. Because if I were them, it would be what I would do first."

~*~UHS~*~

The trip back to the hotel room, then home, after we'd transferred all the data and wiped the company laptops was much quieter than the one we'd made out there. Bella apologized over and over again for ruining the mood but was reassured by just about everyone—especially Jasper, Sirius, Remus, and me—that she had nothing to apologize for. These were the things we had to think about when heading into a war.

Those left behind were shocked at the results we had gotten from our little experiments, Carlisle especially. He was amazed that Bella and I were able to reach the speeds we did. I had a feeling he'd want to run his own experiments eventually but not any time soon. Carlisle was so wrapped up in what he was learning that the thought of trying to stuff more into his brain right now was not enticing at all.

After a good night's sleep, for those that needed it, we all decided to do something of our own. Bella took her phones, mobile and rotary, her MP3 players, the bulletproof vest, and her salt lamps down to her laboratory. She felt better about everything that had happened but wanted to throw herself into her work for a while. Hermione decided she wanted to paint for a while, and Neville was spending time in the greenhouses. Harry and I were finally going to sit down with Emmett's laptops and find out what exactly had happened at the Riddle house. Be it now, or a long time ago. Whatever we could find would only be helpful.

"Where do we start?" Harry asked when he sat down at Emmett and Rose's kitchen table, pulling one of the brand new laptops toward him. The best thing about the fact that Harry had spent time with us in the muggle world was that he was reasonably up to date with the technology we had used before being brought into the wizarding one.

"We pull up a search engine and look for anything we can find on Riddle and Little Hangleton. We'll go from there."

"Okie dokie. Sounds like the best plan." Harry opened up the internet application while I did the same on my laptop and started to search. It didn't take us long to find something. "Hey, Edward, would an article being uploaded to the nearest town's newspaper be classified as something?"

"I suppose that depends on what that article says."

Harry looked over the article before turning his laptop toward me.

_August, 1943._

_The town of Little Hangleton was shaken yesterday when news of a terrible incident had been reported to their police department. There aren't many details as of yet, but this reporter can tell you that affluent members, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and Mary Riddle were murdered, along with their son Tom Riddle, in their large home on the hill._

_The police haven't released many details as yet, only that a man has been detained for questioning. _

_From talking to the residents of Little Hangleton, the Riddles will not be missed, even though they owned more than half the town._

_More as we get it._

"Well, that certainly is interesting." I hummed. "Are there anymore articles after that?"

"I'll keep looking. Are you looking for more?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm gonna be doing something highly illegal. At least, it can't be traced back to us."

My fingers started flying across the keys, trying to locate the servers that the Great Hangleton police station database was kept on. I was hoping that due to the fact they were a little town, they'd put all of their old cases in their electronic database.

"There's a follow up article in the same paper a few weeks later." Harry spoke up a little while later. "Want me to read it to you?" I nodded to his question. "_September 1943. There has been a development in the Riddle murder case. The man who had been taken in for questioning—Frank Bryce—has been let go by the police. It seems that for all the evidence they were able to gather at the scene of the crime, there was absolutely none that would lead to a conviction. According to a source at the police station, the deaths were very suspect in the fact that there was nothing pointing to how they died. For now, this case remains open, but with no further clues on the horizon, this reporter feels these murders will never be solved._"

I wrinkled my nose. "Was there anything reported after that?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "That was the last of it. Guess they never did solve it then."

"Guess not. Aha! Got it."

"Got what?"

I was quiet for a moment as I searched. I looked over at Harry when I had found what I was looking for. "What I've done is very illegal. I've managed to hack into the database at the Great Hangleton police station. And they've backed up all their old case files electronically. We can search through everything they have written down about what happened that night."

"Excellent. What does it say?"

"Give me a sec to read through it."

Harry nodded, only to get up and start making something to eat. We both knew that Rose and Emmett wouldn't mind. By the time he sat back down, I had read through just about everything there was in the file, and considering there were three murders, there wasn't a lot. But it was the interview with Frank Bryce and the coroner's reports that were the most interesting.

"All right, from what I've read here, one morning in August of 1943, the maid entered the drawing room of the Riddle house and found all three dead, still in their dinner clothes. She, of course, came screaming down the hill, alerting every man and his dog about them being dead. It wasn't long after that the police started suspecting Frank Bryce as the murderer. He was the gardener at the time, and the only one outside the family—apart from the maid—who had keys to the house."

"Why would that matter?" Harry asked.

"Because there was no sign of forced entry. In fact all the doors were locked. Poor Frank, however, was a returning vet of the war, and from what I can gather, he suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. They were all set to charge him until the coroner's report came in," I said, scrolling down the page and re-reading the report. I could hear that Harry was trying to be patient, so I decided to answer him before he asked. "The coroner had a team of doctors look over all of the Riddles. From what they could ascertain, none of them had been poisoned, stabbed, shot, strangled, or suffocated. In fact, apart from the fact that all the Riddles were dead, they all seemed to be in perfect health. The only thing that stood out on any of the bodies was the fact that Thomas Riddle had a smug look of superiority and mocking on his face, while Mary Riddle and her son Tom Riddle had looks of pure terror on theirs, like they had been scared to death."

I looked up from the screen to see Harry with a horrified look on his face. "Is that even possible?"

"Pfft, no. But there was something else that caught my attention."

"What's that?"

"This." I spun the laptop around so Harry could see the transcript of the interview with Frank Bryce. "During the time they had Frank in custody, he continuously declared his innocence, but it wasn't just that, he described seeing a teenage boy, a stranger who was dark-haired and pale, around the Riddle house on the day of their deaths."

"Ooookay," Harry drew out. "I don't follow."

It took me a minute to remember that Harry had never seen Voldemort as a child, or even as a teenager, in the Chamber of Secrets. Only Bella and I had.

"Give me another second." I pulled some paper and a pencil toward me and set to drawing a copy of both eleven-year-old and sixteen-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as …

"Voldemort," Harry breathed. "You think he killed his father and grandparents? At what, seventeen years of age?"

I nodded. "And if he did, then these were more than likely his first official kills, and probably the beginning of his horcruxes."

~*~UHS~*~

"So he killed them?" Bella asked, sitting next to me in the family room. She'd put her book down to hear about what we'd found. Others were listening in around the house. "You think Voldemort killed his own family?"

"I do," I said as I flicked out the Daily Prophet, finding the very first copy of The Truth stashed inside. It seemed James was going to stick to conspiracy theories, for now, until he was able to get a following and some decent news. Although, if you asked me, they weren't really conspiracy theories, just theories that should have been investigated before. "And …" I interrupted before Bella could ask. "The start of his horcrux making days. What better way for that pure blood fanatic, to make sure nobody can find out about him, than to wipe out the only other people who knew he existed? Merope died of a broken heart, her father and brother died in Azkaban, with the Riddles gone, there was no one to contradict him."

I reached over to grab the snack food I was munching on while I was reading the paper.

"What do you think he used as that particular horcrux?" This time, it was Jasper who asked the question before he froze on the spot and asked something completely unrelated. "And why are you eating Hagrid's rock cakes? I thought they were inedible."

I looked down to see that the cookies I thought I had been eating were, in fact, Hagrid's rock cakes. "Huh … I didn't know I was." I shrugged. "Well, they're delicious."

"But how?" Jasper stuttered. "They hurt my teeth the last time I tried them."

"I used a little venom to soak them, and they were easy to eat. He's quite a good cook. But back to your original question. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say it was something in the Slytherin line. Voldemort wouldn't hesitate to rub it in his muggle family's face that he became, at least partly, immortal because he was magical and from that great family line."

"The fact that you understand serial killers is a little scary, Edward," Bella murmured from next to me.

I grimaced a little but didn't feel the old guilt that used to come rushing back every time I thought about my rebellious past. "I once was one, Bella. Shh, I know." I hugged her close when she went to sit up and argue. "I did it for the greater good, but I understand their thought process because of that part of my life. Emmett and I studied them also. We wanted to see what made the worst of the worst tick. It might help."

"Oh, oooohhh, these are SO good." Jasper groaned from next to me. "Why didn't we try this before? When did Hagrid visit?"

"Do you want us to leave you alone with your cake, Jasper?" I asked, causing Bella to laugh from next to me.

Bella laughed, again, at Jasper, who nodded his head. "Hagrid was here earlier today visiting Buckbeak. He brought those over as a thank you for taking care of his friend. He'll be back tomorrow but for a completely different reason."

I looked down at Bella because I hadn't known that Hagrid was coming back. I'd been over with Harry researching when he was here. I frowned, asking the question without actually asking.

"Draco sent an owl while I was in my laboratory before Hagrid got here. He is able to get some time away from home tomorrow, and he wants to talk to Hagrid, explain everything. I thought the best place would be here, so I asked Hagrid to come back and sent an owl back to Draco, telling him that he could do it here tomorrow." Bella shrugged before she got up and put the lid back on the rock cakes, making our mouths drop open with her next words. "Dinner will be ready soon, and if you keep eating those, you'll ruin your appetite."

I heard Esme snicker from Carlisle's and her room. She was doing some preparations for her class plans for the upcoming year.

"Well, that was a little rude," Jasper snarked. "Anything good in the paper?"

"Eh, only the advertisement of the Quidditch World Cup being held in England this year." I waved the paper in his face.

"Oh, my God, seriously? We have to go!" Jasper snatched the paper out of my hands. "Bulgaria and Ireland—that will be a fantastic match. And Viktor Krum plays for Bulgaria. He's the youngest seeker …"

"And the best in the world!" Emmett screamed, racing over and almost ripping the paper out of Jasper's hands. "We definitely have to go, and we have to have great seats."

I couldn't help but laugh at them. I'd seen Emmett get worked up about sports before, especially football and baseball, but to see them this excited about sport here was a balm to my soul. One I hadn't known I'd needed. I didn't even get to reply to their excitement before they were taking the Daily Prophet to the table to figure out how to purchase said tickets and asking everyone in the family if they were going to be attending.

I'd just gotten up to follow them when three brown barn owls flew through the owl door and dropped mail on the island in the kitchen before flying back out without landing. Considering they had no thoughts, you wouldn't think they would be so afraid of staying here. When I reached the island the mail had landed on, I discovered this year's Hogwarts letters, and as I picked up mine, Athan and Saffy flew through the same owl door and landed on their perches near the window.

"Saffy, will you go up to Hermione's studio and get her attention, please?"

_Sure, Edward._ The little blue owl flew off straight away.

"Bella, your Hogwarts letter is here!"

"Ooooh, goody!" Bella skipped into the kitchen and snatched up her letter off the island before she jumped up onto a stool. "Wonder who's going to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year?"

I snorted, taking my seat next to her as Saffy, then Hermione came into the kitchen. "I wonder if we'll have a different teacher every year, or if we'll eventually get a steady one?"

"That would be nice. There's nothing like having inconsistencies in our learning thanks to several different teachers," Hermione commented, taking her seat. "Oh, look. We need to have dress robes this year. Wonder what that's about?"

Bella looked down at her letter. "Dress robes, dress robes. Those are usually required when there's a formal occasion, maybe a wedding or a dance …"

"Oh, a dance," Hermione said dreamily. "Do you think that's it? So dress robes for girls are?"

"Fancy dresses. Boys wear … um … what are they called in the muggle world? Dinner jackets, shirts, slacks?"

"Tuxedos?" I offered.

"Yeah, those!" Bella said excitedly. "There aren't many places in Diagon Alley that sell those types of clothes though. Well, Madam Malkin sells dress robes for boys, but not many places sell nice dresses."

"Maybe Alice will design them for you." I looked up from my letter when neither girl said anything to my suggestion. "What?"

Before I could say anything else, both girls were wrapped around me, thanking me for a brilliant idea. They both ran out of the kitchen, talking about inviting Luna and Ginny over to discuss ideas before Alice got home from work.

"That was a nice thing you did," Esme said as she and Kreacher walked into the kitchen. I shrugged off her compliment, feeling a little embarrassed. I hadn't expected that kind of reaction, especially from my girl. Esme came and sat next to me to go over our letters, and Kreacher went to check on dinner.

Before I knew it, Luna and Ginny arrived in a swirl of squealing, giggling girls, and Alice joined them not much later. She must have left her store in the capable hands of her assistant. Alice had gotten so busy over the last year that she had to hire people to work in the store with her. She was ever so proud of herself.

Not long after the girls had had their conversation, everyone congregated around the island in the kitchen, including Rosalie and Neville, who had walked over from their place when Rose had gotten home from work and Emmett couldn't be found.

"Kreacher, is there enough for Ginny, Luna, Emmett, Rose, and Neville to stay for dinner?" Esme asked, looking in pots and pans on the stove.

"Yes, Mrs. Esme. Kreacher makes sure that there is always enough food. Kreacher had a feeling we'd be having guests for dinner this evening." I couldn't help but laugh at the cheeky look Kreacher shot Emmett. It seemed our biggest brother had been missing Kreacher's cooking. As much as Rosalie had learned, she still didn't have a lot of recipes under her belt.

For the first time in a long time, we were able to enjoy a large, loud family dinner without any black clouds or resentment hanging over us. And by the time dinner was finished, it was decided that everyone except Alice, Esme, and Rose would be attending the Quidditch World Cup. Even Luna was going to join us at the Cup after she'd sent an owl home to her dad.

Esme, Alice, and Rosalie were going to be doing our shopping in Diagon Alley for school the day of the match. It was something they were looking forward to—a day of shopping with just the three of them. It had been a while since they had gone shopping together.

We all had something to look forward to.

~*~UHS~*~

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**That speed was something, huh? I can't wait to hear what you all think.**

**See you in a fortnight!**


	4. Chapter Three - Summer Part III

**Hi everyone! It has been a hell of a week. I had a full week of placement, and I've had to design my own programme to develop for my assessment. It's been a very hectic week. How was all of yours? I hope it was slower than mine.**

**I want to thank Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson for their hard work because these stories wouldn't be what they are without the both of them. Thank you, both of you.**

**Harry Potter and Twilight belong to JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

**I'll let you get on with it ****...**

* * *

**Chapter Three ~ Summer Part III**

The following day everyone was on tenterhooks. We knew Hagrid wasn't going to react well to having Draco here because he was still very upset about the fact that Buckbeak was nearly executed. So Bella had decided to tell Hagrid to arrive late. She was hoping we could reintroduce Buckbeak and Draco, get them on, at least, semi-friendly terms before Hagrid arrived. I wasn't sure how much success she'd have, and I told her as much.

Which was how I found myself outside approaching said hippogriff. Bella had the brilliant idea that I should talk to him first, explain everything to Buckbeak, so he, too, could start with a fresh slate.

I walked through the gate to the paddock that Emmett and Jasper had designed for Buckbeak, then faced him and bowed. I waited patiently for him to bow back before I approached to gently pat his neck.

"Morning, Buckbeak." I sighed while scrolling through the thoughts and frequencies around me, trying to locate Buckbeak's thoughts. Once I found them, I continued talking. "Today is going to be a difficult day for you, my friend. You're going to have two visitors, and I'm not sure they're going to get along."

Buckbeak tilted his big eagle head—much like birds do—to look at me better before he nudged me with his beak. _Why not?_ I heard in my head. His voice was raspy, and a little stilted, like he didn't think with words often.

"Well, one of them will be Hagrid." I could see Buckbeak perk up a little at seeing his friend two days in a row. "The other will be Draco, the boy who approached you without the proper procedure last year at school, getting you in trouble."

_Oh. He was hiding. He did not mean it._

I frowned, looking at the animal in front of me, still stroking the feathers on his neck. "How do you know that?"

Buckbeak flicked his large wings out and stretched them. _Vampires might hear a lot, but Buckbeak can read eyes better than others. Boy was scared, knew he was wrong, but he had to. Those other boys are trouble._

"They are." I nodded. I always seemed to underestimate animals and how much they see and hear. "Draco is playing a part. Unfortunately, he has to keep up the trouble act, although, I wish he'd let us help him and his mother."

_Like you helped Buckbeak?_

"Exactly. But he chooses to stay in a place where he's always getting hurt. I don't like it."

_Not much you can do if he chooses to stay. Is there a reason?_ I frowned, not quite understanding the question, and Buckbeak saw that. _For him to stay there, is there a reason?_

"He seems to think so. He thinks that he might be able to get some useful information from those he's surrounding himself with. He might be right, but is it worth getting hurt all the time?"

_Only he can tell you that. Until then …_

I patted Buckbeak's neck. "Until then, I have to let him be. Anyway, he's coming here today to apologize to both you and Hagrid. He wants to explain why, to both of you, even if you have the right idea. I'm just not sure Hagrid is going to listen."

_You will get him to listen. You and Isabella. _

I wondered what he meant by that but couldn't ask because it seemed like Buckbeak was done talking for now. He'd walked away and curled up in the massive nest Emmett had built. We weren't sure Buckbeak would like it, considering he was half horse, but he appreciated that we had gone to the trouble and that we had placed a roof over it.

I made my way back toward the house to see Bella, Emmett, and Jasper standing by the back door. It was Bella, though, who asked the question. "So, what did he say?"

"He knew. Buckbeak knew all along that Draco didn't mean it," I said, causing their mouths to drop open. "The animals know and see more than they ever let on, and this was one of those times. Buckbeak and Draco won't be a problem. It'll be Hagrid."

"That's why we're here!" Emmett pointed his thumb at himself before he pointed over his shoulder at Jasper. "We'll help."

"That's good." I looked down at my girl. "What time is Draco going to be here?"

Bella pulled the watch from my pocket. "Any time now."

Instead of going inside, we sat on the porch to wait. As much as we wanted to leave Buckbeak and Draco alone, we were going to be there just in case. We weren't sitting out there long before Esme showed Draco through to the back deck.

"Nervous about today?" I asked after greetings were shared and Draco had taken a seat at the table.

Draco nodded and shifted in his chair. "Yeah. More than I can say. Can you give me any insight into what might happen?"

"Without Alice, not much. But we're here for you today, should anything happen." I nodded in the direction of Buckbeak's pen. "Someone else is waiting for you though."

With a nervous nod of his head, Draco stood and took a few wobbly steps in Buckbeak's direction. With one last look at us, Draco opened the gate, stepped inside, and bowed in the regal animal's direction. Buckbeak took his time bowing back, just to drag it out a little more, but once he did, the four of us got up from the table and went back inside, leaving Draco to talk to Buckbeak.

"What time will Hagrid be here, Bella?" Emmett asked as he took a seat on the couch.

Bella looked over at the grandfather clock. "In about half an hour. I wanted to give Draco time to talk to Buckbeak. But I wanted Hagrid to also catch Draco talking to him. I'm hoping that it will give him enough pause to listen."

Jasper hummed. "It could also cause him to become enraged." He held up his hand when Bella went to interrupt. "I get what you were trying to do. But Hagrid is a big guy. The plus on this is that he isn't prone to anger. I hope it works, Bella; I truly do."

I reached over to grab her hand. I wanted to help her calm down. "It was a good idea, sweetheart. But maybe next time, ask to make sure. Or maybe discuss it with everyone."

Bella pouted but squeezed my hand. "I understand. I was just trying to be helpful."

"Organizing this is helping. But it's the details that need ironing out, and that's what we do as a family. Considering you did this all on your own while everyone was busy with something else, you did a good job. We'll make sure it goes off without a hitch," I explained.

"Thank you. All of you." Bella relaxed back on the couch and closed her eyes.

Emmett, Jasper, and I lapsed into silence, only to listen to Draco talking to Buckbeak. Instead of doing that, I tuned into Bella's thoughts. She had been researching ways to get the bulletproof vest to work, and so far, she hadn't come across anything that she thought would work. It was frustrating her, to say the least. But if there was one thing she had learned from making the Bubble Lamps and disassembling the Mirrorsieve is that perseverance paid off. Getting frustrated and lashing out did absolutely nothing.

"You'll get there, Bella," I whispered.

_I know. _Bella sighed. _I would like it to work before we go back to school, but I have a feeling it won't. Considering the vision you and Alice described, it seems like it will be part of a uniform for something. We might have to get Alice to make one similar so we can replace it when I do get it to work._

"You think I'm going to need it at school?"

_I think … I think something big is going to happen this year. I think you'll need that uniform at school, for whatever that something big is._

I pulled her over to my side and cuddled her in close. "I'll add it to the list that Esme, Rose, and Alice were writing out for Diagon Alley."

Bella released a breath and relaxed against me. _Good. That's good. It makes me feel better._

Instead of answering, I hugged her tighter and just relaxed. I checked on Draco and found that he wasn't just explaining his actions, but he was telling Buckbeak everything. It was like once he started talking to someone, he had to get it all out. Something I knew all too well.

It was as Draco was leading up to the day he contacted us that Hagrid arrived. We all met him at the door, Bella giving him a hug, before we walked him through the house and out to the back yard. Jasper could feel the nervousness floating around, and not just from Draco. He saw Hagrid first because he'd placed himself so he could see the backdoor; whereas Hagrid had his head turned and was talking to Emmett. Bella was also nervous. She had thought about what Jasper said and was now very concerned that something would go wrong. I reached down to hold her hand to give her the support she seemed to need.

Once Hagrid looked around, he spotted Draco in the paddock, standing up to greet whatever was coming his way.

"What is 'e doing 'ere?" Hagrid growled. "And with Buckbeak?"

It seemed everyone had gone mute, so I decided it was up to me to answer the big man's questions. "He's come to talk, Hagrid, to both of you."

"I don't want him 'ere, and definitely not 'round Buckbeak." Hagrid started walking toward the paddock. "Yeh, boy! I want you gone."

"Please, Hagrid … Professor Hagrid …" Draco tried.

"No, no, no, no! After what yeh did, yeh have no right, no right to be 'round Buckbeak!"

Jasper and Emmett were trying to stop Hagrid from advancing. It was amazing how strong a man of his size could be against two vampires.

Bella still had a hold of my hand, but we both flicked out our wands at the same time. I was going to use Stupefy to try to, at least, get Hagrid moving away from the direction he was heading while Bella was leaning toward Locomotor Wibbly, the Jelly-Legs Curse, to slow him down enough that Emmett and Jasper could get him to sit. It was a good thing Bella was left-handed; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to cast our spells at the same time.

The problem we saw was that we weren't sure our spells would work on him, much like ordinary wizards were unable to affect vampires too much. But we were going to try anyway.

We both raised our wands to cast our own separate spells. Only that wasn't what happened.

"Locomotor Wibbly!" We said at the same time, surprising us both. The orange spell trails that burst from our wands converged and grew in potential. They hit Hagrid square between his shoulder blades. The dual spell proved to be so much stronger than anything we had cast before. Hagrid froze upon the hit, his legs no longer under his control, and he plopped to the ground with his legs jerking in many different directions.

Bella turned to me with her mouth hanging open, not that it stopped her from asking the question on the tip of her tongue. _Was that what you meant to say?_

"No. I was going to use Stupefy, but I heard your thought and the same spell came out. Although, I'm not disappointed in the results."

_Me either. Do you think it'll work that way with other spells?_

Emmett and Jasper were sitting down with Hagrid, calming him down. It didn't help much until Buckbeak walked up behind Draco and nudged him forward. It was that action—the touch from his friend—that stopped Hagrid's ire in its tracks and helped him prepare to listen.

"It might. Do we test it though? And who do we test it on?"

Bella's mouth snapped closed, and she pursed her lips. "Emmett would be fun to test them on, both singularly and together, to see if there is a difference. But we could also talk to Opi. Didn't he say our spells, our magic, would always be better, stronger, when we worked together?"

"He did, but I'm not sure this was exactly what he meant. Although, consulting him might not be a bad idea." I snickered quietly, watching Hagrid and Draco talk while Jasper and Emmett sat nearby. Bella looked up at me inquisitively, wondering why I was laughing. "Testing spells on Emmett will be fun."

Bella chuckled quietly when Emmett gave us a thumbs up behind Hagrid's back. "And I don't think we're the only ones who think that."

"Me either." I agreed before laughing loudly when Jasper shook his head no. He was picturing Emmett flying through the air and landing on his head.

Draco and Hagrid spoke for a long while. At first, it didn't go well because Hagrid was skeptical of what Draco was saying, even after we all vouched for him. Of course, Hagrid couldn't know how I was so sure of him. Hagrid didn't even believe Draco when he told him of how his dad was and what happened at home.

"There is no way some'un with that much money, and as influential as _Lucius Malfoy,_ would need to do 'nythin like that!" Hagrid had all but shouted his argument.

That was when Bella and I went to join the little group on the ground. "Hagrid," I whispered, catching his attention as if I'd shouted his name. "Just because people have money and influence doesn't mean they can't be monsters in more than just attitude. There have been many, many men—and women—throughout the muggle world who have had money and influence but have been the worst monsters around." Hagrid was quiet, absorbing what I was saying. "Draco, how's your arm?"

_Bruised. Swollen. Lucky it's not broken._ Draco thought, looking at me. "What me to show him?"

"I think it might be the only way to convince him, but only if you want to."

Hagrid watched Draco with undisguised curiosity while Emmett, Jasper, and Bella got up to start feeding the animals we had started to collect. This was something they wanted to give Draco privacy for. It didn't take long. Draco looked at Hagrid, then at me, before he looked down at his arm and started to roll up the sleeve of his shirt.

_Poor Hephzibah's house elf,_ Hagrid thought. _Edward is right. By why is he still there?_

I didn't answer his thought because Hagrid didn't know I could hear them. Plus, it wasn't often that I could, so I'd rather keep that tidbit to myself.

"Why are yeh still there? Shouldn't yeh leave?"

_A very good question. _I snorted quietly to myself.

"Because we want to help. You have to feel the change coming, Hagrid," Draco whispered.

Hagrid froze. I watched, wondering whether I'd be able to hear anything from him, but his mind was eerily silent. "I wondered if we would 'ear of 'im again. Yeh think you-know-who will come back? And yeh think spyin' on yer da is the best place?"

Draco nodded to Hagrid's question. "My mother and I both do. It's why we both stay."

"Both of yeh! Merlin." Hagrid turned to me. "Why haven't yeh gotten them out o' there?"

"It's not for the lack of trying, Hagrid. We've offered several times. Sirius has tried to talk them into it, offering his place, but they stubbornly refuse, thinking that helping is more important than their safety," I joke somewhat, giving Draco a small shove.

Draco let out a sigh before saying, "When it comes to war, nobody's safety is more important than someone else's."

~*~UHS~*~

A couple of days later, Bella and I were in the back yard with Jasper, Emmett, and Opi. After Draco's visit, we wrote to Opi, asking if he could come for a visit; we wanted to talk to him about what had happened with Hagrid. Once he heard our story, he wanted to see it in action, and that's where we were now.

"All right, Bella, I want you to fire Stupefy at Emmett. Edward, I want you to do it afterward. Once that's done, do exactly what you did with Hagrid, okay?" Opi called from the back verandah.

Bella nodded, flicking her left arm and releasing her wand. With the quick top to bottom movement of her hand, a blue light shot out of her wand. As a vampire, we shouldn't be very susceptible to spells, even from a Veela as strong as Bella. And Emmett proved that right. When he was hit, he was knocked back a few steps, but he wasn't unconscious, nor was he unable to move. The same thing happened when I cast the spell on him. There were two differences between my spell and hers: my spell was red, and Emmett took a few more steps backward for me.

We both looked toward Opi, who had watched with clear interest. "Together, please. Exactly how you did it with Hagrid."

Bella held her right hand out to me, and I grabbed it with my left.

_Ready?_ Bella asked, and with my nod, she started. _Three … two … one …_ "Stupefy!"

My red and Bella's blue spells shot out of our wands at the same time. They spun around one another, quickly combining into one beautiful purple spell right before they collided with Emmett's chest. The effect was instant. Emmett was thrown backward at least three meters and landed on his backside like a rag doll, slowly falling onto his side. He couldn't stop it. If we hadn't been so stunned, Bella and I would have laughed our asses off. There was something extremely funny about a vampire falling over.

We'd seen our spells combine, of course, when we tried it at Opi's wand making shop. Granted, it had only been red sparks, and we hadn't been touching, and they had combined. But this? This seemed to be so much stronger.

"It is an interesting effect, is it not?" Opi asked as he inspected Emmett's prone form on the ground. "The strength that comes from working together. Especially when the cores of wands are as perfectly matched as the witches or wizards that wield them?"

My mouth fell open before I snapped it shut. "You knew? You knew this would happen!"

"Of course, I did. And I showed you as well. Do you remember?" Opi asked when he looked at us before inspecting Emmett once again.

"When our red sparks united in your tower," Bella whispered. "You knew then that our spells would combine. We weren't touching then, not even handholding. Why has it not happened before now? Why only when we're touching?"

Opi motioned toward the back verandah—he wanted to sit. Besides, Emmett was starting to twitch, which meant he would be able to sit up soon. In the meantime, Jasper, Bella, and I followed Opi over to the table. Once we were sitting, Kreacher brought out some refreshments for us.

"Thank you, Kreacher." Opi sighed. "You have a loyal elf there. But to answer your questions. First: in my tower, you were standing side by side, almost touching; that is why your spells were able to combine. Second: the reason it has not happened before? That would be because you have not been that close when saying the same spell. Even in class.

"As to why it only happens when you two are in contact with each other? Well that should be an easy one to answer."

"Because we're mated. When we work together, our wands work together. But for that to happen, we have to connect. Complete the connection, if you will."

"Very good, Edward!" Opi clapped. "You are correct. There are many types of magic in the world, and those include the connection between mated wands. Another is the connection between sister wands, and what they can do is truly spectacular. For now, I think you should practice your newfound power. Because the only way to master it is to practice."

~*~UHS~*~

The plans for our trip to the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup were well underway. Sirius, James, Remus, and Harry had found out that we had purchased a skybox for the event and had invited themselves along, much to our amusement. We weren't the only ones who had managed to score tickets. The Weasleys had been invited to join Minister Fudge in his box for the event, and all the Weasleys were going, except for Molly.

And when I say all the Weasleys that meant Charlie and Bill were going as well. We had met the older brothers earlier this week, and let me tell you, they were amusing.

William "Bill" Arthur Weasley was the oldest of Arthur and Molly's children. He worked for Gringotts Bank as a curse breaker. The interesting thing about him was that he didn't dress like he worked for a bank. He had the standard red hair, but it was long and pulled back into a ponytail. Bill was tall and lanky and chose to dress in black pants, top, and a leather jacket. He also wore an earring with a fang hanging from it—all much to Molly's displeasure. The whole time they were over, Molly was trying to convince him to wear something different and to cut his hair. I had to admit that he made what he did work for him.

Charles "Charlie" Weasley was the second oldest of the children, and when he had finished school, he went to Romania to work with and study dragons. In fact, it was who Dumbledore had sent Hagrid's dragon egg to when we had discovered him with it. He, too, had the Weasley's signature red hair but kept it in a style that was much more appropriate—according to his mother anyway. Charlie was shorter, and much stockier, than his other brothers and had several callouses on his fingers from working with said dragons. There was also something going on with him because his thoughts were closed—leading me to believe that someone had told only him about my talent—and when he was introduced to us, he had an interesting little smirk on his face. But it was his "sounds like it'll be an interesting year at Hogwarts this year" that really piqued my interested. Although, no matter what I did, I couldn't get around his Occlumency to find out what he meant.

It was certainly an interesting dynamic to see all nine Weasleys together.

It was what happened just a couple of days ago that I really enjoyed. Luna had come over for a visit to try on the gown Alice was making for her for whatever formal occasion we had at school this year, but she hadn't come alone. Her grandfather, Newt Scamander, had come with her. He was fulfilling a promise he'd made to Emmett at the end of the school year.

He brought his suitcase with him. Newt was a magizoologist—something I think Luna was aspiring to be, if her thoughts were anything to go by—and in his suitcase was his entire zoo. He used to take it everywhere he would go, saving magical animals that were in danger or going extinct. And last year, when Newt had removed the Obscurial from within me, he had placed it inside his suitcase from which we'd heard some fascinating sounds. Emmett had wanted to see inside it then, but Newt had promised to bring it by at a later date.

Emmett wasn't the only one who had wanted a peek inside that suitcase. It was a good thing Newt was a good sport because several of us had followed him and Emmett inside.

"Ohhh, it's a good thing Bella isn't with us," I had whispered upon seeing the inside of the suitcase.

"No shit," Emmett agreed. "Imagine how many pens and enclosures I'd have to build."

I snickered at Emmett but knew he was right. Not that he wouldn't do it for her because he would, without a second thought. But right now, having a whole zoo in our back yard might not be a good idea.

The inside of Newt's suitcase was laid out much like a zoo, and boy was it huge. He must have used an undetectable extension charm on it to make it as large as it was. Each of the animals had their own place to sleep and play, many of them having their own pens, while others were able to share. Each of those pens was divided by differently decorated screens to make many different environments. Each of those pens had had another Undetectable Extension Charm used on it to give the animals plenty of room. Newt Scamander had to be a master of creating wizarding space. There were no other words for it. For most of the habitats, you could see through to what animal had been inside it, but others we had to wander in to see what it contained. Newt had also set it up so the sun and moon were there so that each of the animals knew whether it was day or night.

"What kind of animals are these?" Jasper asked as he looked around.

"Uh … magical ones," I snarked, to which Jasper punched me in the arm. I looked at the one in front of me. It was standing majestically on a large rock, looking down at us and reminded me of a lion until it let out a roar, then its mane burst forth from its neck, looking much like a puffer fish. "This one is a nundu. It comes from East Africa and is arguably the most dangerous in the world, according to some experts anyway."

Newt was standing next to me looking up at the same animal. "You've been studying your animals. Can you tell me why they think it's the most dangerous?"

"Besides the fact that it's described as being a giant leopard that can move silently despite its size?" I laughed at Newt's nod. "Um, its breath is so potent it causes diseases virulent enough that it can wipe out entire villages. Not only that, this creature is strong enough that it takes no less than a hundred wizards working together to subdue it. The question I have is how did you?"

"A man has to have some secrets." Newt smiled. "What else can you see?"

I pointed to a nest that had been made out of rock, vines, leaves, and other soft material. "In there, you have Occamy. Rare and very valuable, owing to the fact that its eggs are made of the softest silver. Occamy are plumed, two-legged, winged, serpentine creatures usually found in the Far East and India. You must have been all over the world collecting these animals. To have seen so much."

"I have travelled the world many times in my long years. I've seen, saved, kept, and released many magical creatures in my time. I have learned a lot, and I'm still learning. It's what keeps me young." Newt chuckled as we walked around, looking at all the many different creatures. Like the little green bowtruckles on the wand tree, which was planted in the center of the zoo. There was a family of them living in a nest built into the crook of the trunk and a branch. Spindly little creatures that, if not for the fact I had excellent eyesight, you might have missed them. I'd say the biggest one was no bigger than eight inches and had two very small brown eyes. "I have enjoyed my time saving endangered creatures and teaching other wizards about them. There was a time in New York during my younger years that owning a magical animal was deemed illegal. MACUSA or the Magical Congress of the United States even tried to eradicate many of them. I'm sure they would have continued had Frank not saved them."

"Frank?"

Newt pointed to an empty pen that closely matched the deserts in Arizona but had a large rock right in the middle. "He was my best friend, for a time. Frank is a thunderbird. A magical bird that closely resembles a phoenix but was also like an eagle. He was from America, and I was returning him home. But that is another story for another day."

I was going to ask him to continue, but we were interrupted by Neville, who was in a corner of the suitcase dedicated to greenhouses. "Mr. Scamander? I think I have some ideas that might help with some of these plants."

"Ah, Mr. Longbottom. I'll take all the help I can get. Thank you." Newt nodded at me before he walked off to chat with Neville.

"Yoo-hoo! Anybody down here?" I heard Bella call from the opening of the suitcase. Newt had set up a laboratory of sorts, which you climbed down into before exiting to the zoo. "Can I come see?"

I looked through the door and up the ladder to see Bella was hanging upside down into the suitcase. "Edward! Please may I come see?" she asked, reaching out to me.

I stood there, looking at her, with my arms crossed and one of my eyebrows raised. "I need you to promise me something first."

"What's that?"

"Now is not the time to be bringing more animals home with us. You need to behave and not entice them to you. Okay?"

Bella huffed, crossing her arms while hanging upside down. "It's not like I mean too, but I promise to be on my best behavior. And I promise I won't deliberately call them to me, okay?"

"That's the best I can hope for." I chuckled. I pulled her down into the lab and placed her on her feet before guiding her out into the zoo.

"Oh, wow, there are so many!" Bella giggled before running off. I watched her say hello to a few of the animals before running into Newt, who gave her a bucket full of pellets. He showed her to a section of the suitcase that was bathed in bright clear moonlight.

Jasper and Emmett came to stand beside me as several smooth, pale gray creatures emerged from a burrow under a small hill. They had bulging round eyes on top of their heads, longer necks—similar to a baby giraffe, just thicker—and four spindly legs with enormous flat feet. They looked around before finding Bella sitting on the small hill with the bucket Newt had given her.

"What are they?" Jasper whispered, entranced by the scene in front of us.

"Moon calves." The creatures in question slowly approached Bella, who was reaching into the bucket before she threw the pellets into the air, only for them to float above the heads of the calves. "They are immensely shy creatures. I'm not surprised they like Bella though."

Emmett laughed softly as the moon calves stretched up on their toes to reach the pellets above their heads before making some noise for more. We watched on as another creature, one that I had only ever seen in books, looked over at Bella. This one was covered in long, silver, silky fur and looked much like an ape with large, black, doleful eyes.

"See that one coming up from the left?" Newt asked as he walked up behind us. He was indicating the ape-like creature. We all nodded. "That there is found in the Far East, when you can find it. It's called a demiguise and usually spends most of its time invisible. It takes a very skilled wizard to catch one. I have never, in all of my time, seen Dougal approach anyone but me." Dougal had made up his mind about my mate and decided to take a seat next to her, almost purring with the attention she was giving him. "You have a very special mate there, Edward."

"That is something I know all too well, Newt."

Once Bella was done feeding the moon calves and patting Dougal, she proceeded to lead me around the suitcase, looking over all the other animals Newt had. It was no surprise to me when even the Occamy—who are notoriously territorial—let her reach into their nest and give them a small pat.

_This is so fascinating. Imagine what we could learn in our Care of Magical Creatures class if we had access to all of this._

I chuckled. "Not sure the parents would be happy about having all of these 'dangerous creatures' around their children."

_No, probably not. _"Oh, he's beautiful," Bella whispered as she approached the nundu.

Once again, he was on his rock; only this time, he was lying down in a more relaxed manner, at least until we approached, that was. But instead of staying on his rock, he bounded down and stood in front of Bella, looking her directly in the eye.

By this stage, I was more than curious about what this animal was thinking, so I tuned into his thoughts. _This human is part creature. She's special, as is her mate._ He looked straight in my eyes. _You two will be able to create something new, something more, something that will be more than helpful to this world we are in. _The nundu leaned down and pressed his nose to Bella's forehead, then turned and did the same to me. _I shall help you, my friends. It will all be revealed in time._ When he was done, he climbed back onto his rock and fell asleep.

"What was that all about?" Bella asked, looking up at him. "I felt something flow through me with his touch."

"Me too." I explained what he had thought quietly to Bella. "I guess we'll find out in time."

"Guess so. I can't wait to find out though."

"Me either."

We walked around exploring and helping Newt feed the animals for a little while longer. That was until we were interrupted.

"Grandpa? Are you finished showing off?" Luna yelled from inside the laboratory.

Newt laughed before leading us all to the ladder. "There is no need to yell, sweetheart. Any of the vampires could have heard you just fine. What did you need?"

"It's time for us to go home. Are you ready?"

"Let us climb out first please, Luna!" Bella giggled. "As much as I'd enjoy spending more time with these beautiful creatures, I might never leave if you shut me in here!"

We all laughed at Bella's thoughts and climbed up the ladder, stepping out into the sunshine of the back yard. Once Newt had locked the suitcase, we bid him and Luna farewell and watched as Newt spun Luna away to her home.

"What a great way to spend the afternoon. One day, I'd like to have a magical zoo to share with the greater wizarding community." Emmett sighed wistfully.

"And maybe one day, when you're not on guard duty anymore, you can," I said in reply. "Who knows what the future holds for us?"

~*~UHS~*~

Bella and I were reading in the family room late in the afternoon the day before the world cup when we were interrupted by a few pops from the front door. Just before the knock came, my mind filled with the thoughts of Remus, Sirius, James, and Harry. By the time Sirius had raised his hand to knock, I was opening the door.

"Afternoon all." I noticed they had a few overnight bags with them. I waved them inside and followed them back into the family room. "What's going on?"

"We were at Arthur and Molly's house the other day, and the only thing we heard was Ron complaining about having to get up early tomorrow morning to get to the portkey for the cup. We thought since we hadn't heard from you we'd come over the night before so we didn't have to get up so early. Why are you looking at me like that?" Remus asked.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was the first time I'd heard anything about a portkey. "Hey, Carlisle?" I stood up and walked to the beginning of the hallway. "You have the tickets for the cup, right? And you know how to get there?"

"Yes. The tickets came in a few days ago. Remember? I told you about them. I also said they sent a letter explaining that transportation has been arranged. Why?" I could hear that he had stood from his desk and was coming toward me.

I huffed. "How are we getting there? What transportation has been arranged?"

_Um …_ "I didn't read that far?" Carlisle replied, which sounded more like a question. "I stopped when they said they were providing transport. I assumed that meant a car."

I slapped my forehead. "Where's the letter?"

"Right here," Carlisle murmured, looking chastised. "Sorry. I've been so distracted by everything that I did it all in a hurry."

"Mmhmm." I unfolded the letter and began to read. "Oh shit! We need to get a move on." I blurted, running back into the family room. "The portkey will be ready to go at five-thirty tomorrow morning. But, boy, do we have a lot to do."

Bella rushed up to me, grabbing my hands. "Calm down, Edward. What are you talking about? I get that we have to get to the portkey tomorrow but what else?" I shoved the letter into her hands so she could read it for herself. "Okay, we have a list of things we need to get ready."

She turned to face Carlisle with a scowl on her beautiful face. "Dad, how could you not have read this?"

"Uh … sorry, again," Carlisle mumbled, moving over to where we were standing. "What can I do to help?"

Bella read through the letter again. "First things first. We need someone to go and tell Emmett and Neville to pack a bag for camping. According to this, the last Quidditch World Cup lasted five days. Dad, you can do that." Carlisle nodded and rushed out the back door. "Sirius, can you please contact Luna, Newt, and Xenophilius Lovegood and tell them the same thing. And that they need to be here by five o'clock tomorrow morning to get the portkey."

"Sure thing, Bella." I thought Sirius would use one of our owls to deliver a letter, but instead, he turned to face the fireplace. He threw some of the floo powder into the fireplace before calling out the Lovegood house. He stuck only his face into the fireplace and started to converse with someone on the other end.

By this time, everyone in the house knew something was going on and had come into the family room to watch. Bella must have seen them with her peripheral vision because she turned to them next. "Hermione, you need to pack a bag for yourself. Alice, can you get one organized for Edward and me, please? Oh, Jasper needs one, too."

"Yes, Bella," they both said before laughing. "I'll organize Jasper's as well." Alice saluted before she followed Hermione up the stairs.

"I'll gather the potions you boys might need if you three will bring me your trunks. I'll need to pack them with your school things if the cup goes long." Esme spoke as she walked off toward the kitchen where the potions were kept.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked my girl, who seemed to be taking charge.

"Bella! I can't fit everything I need into a backpack!" Hermione called just before Alice yelled out, "Me either!" from our room.

"I think you might need to take Remus up the stairs and have him teach you how to use the Undetectable Extension Charm on our backpacks. Obviously, we need more room than what they have in them."

I kissed her forehead. "What are you gonna do?"

"I have to go looking for my dad's tent. It will fit us all, and I have a pretty good idea where it is. James, can you go out and ask Jasper to start looking for the box our tickets came in? That's the portkey."

"Got it, Bella. I'll ask Emmett when he gets here too because you know they're gonna be over here with their backpacks soon." James jogged out the backdoor and into the garden where Jasper was doing some work.

We both separated and went to do our respective tasks while Harry—who was laughing at the entire thing—stayed in the family room. Remus and I stopped in Hermione's room first to see that she was packing smartly. She had a few sets of clothes and underwear, with a couple of books and a sketchpad and pencils.

"I can't fit it all in my backpack. Can we do anything?" Hermione asked as we stepped in the door.

Remus nodded. "We can, although it is kinda illegal."

"Only if you get caught." I snickered. "Bella said the Undetectable Extension Charm?"

"I'll teach you but don't open your bag in front of a Ministry official or you'll get into trouble, okay?" Remus asked.

"No worries. How do you do it?"

"It's a simple wave of your wand and the incantation of 'Capacious Extremis'. Like this." Remus waved his wand hand in a simple wave. "While the spell and the way it is cast is simple, it is a complicated spell. It's advanced magic, which can extend the inside of an object while maintaining the integrity of the item. It's illegal unless on something approved by the Ministry."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked as I practiced the wand movement, then the incantation separately.

"Because of the possible breaches of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Could you imagine what muggles would say if they saw someone pulling a full house load of things out of a little bag?"

"Not only that. Could you imagine the smuggling possibilities? Especially if a muggle criminal got their hands on one," I suggested as I released my wand from the gauntlet on my arm. "Capacious Extremis!" A white light shot out of the end of my wand and hit the backpack. I watched to see if anything would happen, if I could tell if the spell had worked, but nothing changed.

"You won't know unless you pick it up." Remus chuckled. "See how far you can place your arm in, Edward. But you're right about the smuggling possibilities. I'm actually surprised Newt Scamander got away with it for so long on that suitcase of his."

I picked up Hermione's bag and looked it over before I opened it up and looked inside. From what I could tell, it was still the same bag. That was until I reached inside. My arm disappeared up to my shoulder and could have kept going had I stuck my head inside too.

"Wow, that's cool. Here you go, Hermione. You should be able to fit everything now."

Hermione nodded as Alice called out that she was still waiting her turn. By the time I'd converted Bella's and my bags, Emmett was plowing in through the backdoor with Jasper on his heels and Carlisle only a few steps behind them.

"Edward! I need you to make these bigger. You can do that, right?" Emmett asked frantically before Jasper blurted out, "I can't find the box the tickets came in!"

"What do you mean you can't find the box? Why do you need the box?" Emmett spun to ask Jasper before I could do the same. "And why did we not know about all of this days ago!" Emmett threw the bags at my feet before running off to talk at Kreacher about looking after the animals while we were gone.

"What kind of box are you looking for, Jasper?" I faced him.

"I assumed it was a cardboard box, so I've been searching all the dustbins inside and outside. I can't find anything labeled from the Ministry." Jasper threw his hands up in the air.

I had been paying attention to him, but I had also watched Carlisle's thoughts at the same time. It seemed we were looking for the wrong kind of box, in the wrong place. The box had come wrapped in paper from the Ministry, but Carlisle had unwrapped it without paying attention to it, and then just pulled the letter and tickets from inside. After that, instead of looking at the box, he tossed it into the kindling basket near the fireplace because it was made of wood.

I sighed. "Carlisle, I know you've been busy learning, but when you're opening things from the Ministry, can you pay a little more attention?" I walked over to the basket that was next to the fireplace and picked up a—what looked to be pine—box decorated with a snitch that had been burnt into the wood. "This is our portkey. This is what will take us to where the Cup is being held in the morning."

I saw Esme walk into the room with two more backpacks in her hand, slapping Emmett as she walked past. Kreacher knew how to look after the animals while we were gone. He didn't need Emmett jumping up and down in front of him, telling him how to do just that.

"Could you extend these for me, dear? Carlisle and Jasper might need them also." Esme placed a kiss on my cheek after she'd asked. I was just about to cast the charm on them when I heard Bella shout triumphantly from wherever she was.

"Found it! I found it!" she shouted from the attic. I could hear her walking down the stairs, dragging something behind her. I cast the spell on the four bags at my feet while Bella made it to the bottom of the stairs before sliding the large duffle-type bag across the floor to me. "Dad's tent. That will give us all enough places to sleep."

Jasper had bobbed down to look at the bag. "Bella this bag says that it only holds four people. There're going to be fourteen of us. We aren't all going to fit."

"Sure we will." Bella rolled her eyes at Jasper, and her thoughts were just as petulant. "It's a magical tent, silly."

Remus laughed at the look on Jasper's face. "Please don't worry about it. She's right. We'll all fit. Now"—he spun to face Sirius—"are Xenophilius and the others getting here tonight or tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow. They'll be here in the morning." Sirius nodded.

"Excellent." Esme handed bags to Jasper, Carlisle, and two to Emmett. "Everyone finish packing, then come back here for dinner. After that, all the young ones need to get some sleep since they have to get up so early tomorrow."

"Aww, Mum!" Bella whined.

"Don't 'aww, Mum' me, Bella. I want you well rested for tomorrow. Who knows how long you'll be up for after that?" Esme walked back toward the kitchen to check on what Kreacher was cooking.

"Come on, Bella. Let's go see what Alice has packed for us." I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the stairs.

It was amazing how happy children could be about getting up before the sun when there was something they were looking forward to. Bella, Hermione, and Harry had absolutely no trouble getting out of bed when I woke them at four-thirty for breakfast. Whereas Sirius, James—who had to change personas—and Remus all grumbled about it before stumbling into the kitchen for coffee that Kreacher had prepared. According to the thoughts of Emmett, who was crossing the yard with Neville in tow, Neville had been up since about four o'clock double-checking everything in his bag. He almost skipped into the dining room, grabbing some breakfast on the way past, to take his seat at the table.

By the time the Lovegoods came through our fireplace, we were loud. There was laughter around the table, good-natured ribbing, and of course, the never-ending bets between Jasper and Emmett. Although, I had placed my own. The Irish were going to win as far as I was concerned. I couldn't wait to see what the twins were going to say.

What I found absolutely hilarious was Carlisle had even gotten in on the action and placed his own bet. His trash talking was hilarious because he'd never done it with us before, and he wasn't the greatest at it. Even the younger ones found him funny.

"All right, all right!" Esme called over the noise. "You lot had better get your packs on and start standing around the box. It's almost time for the portkey to activate."

Esme had created a small panic because she hadn't told us how long until the portkey was ready so we all scrambled from the table, racing to get backpacks—mine held the tent—and then squish around the box. There were fourteen of us after all.

"Well, that was entertaining." Rose laughed. "I don't think I've seen any of you scramble like that before."

Each one of us placed a finger on the box when it started to glow blue. I looked up at Esme, Rose, and Alice. "Have a fun day shopping, ladies. We'll see you when we get back, whenever that may be!"

We could hear their laughter as we were sucked into the vortex of the portkey. What felt like minutes later, but was probably only seconds, Remus was yelling at us to let go. We'd gotten good at traveling this way, so when Remus told us to let go, we were able to land on our feet without a problem. Although it had always been funny to watch Emmett landing on his head.

"Welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!" Sirius exclaimed, holding his arms out wide.

"We aren't there yet, my friend," a voice sounded from next to us. We spun to find that the Weasleys must have landed after us. "Hello, everyone!"

"Hello, Weasleys!" We all cheered, laughing.

"How much farther have we got to go?" Carlisle asked.

Arthur indicated in a northerly direction. "Hold on and we'll find out." He walked over to another gentleman with a basket full of odds and ends. "Hello, Basil."

"Arthur." Basil nodded. I noticed that he and his friend—who didn't introduce himself—were dressed as strangely as any wizard trying to fit into the muggle world. I couldn't understand how the wizard community didn't see how weird they all looked. "Nice to have the day off, eh? We've been here all night."

Arthur handed over an old boot, which must have been their portkey, while Basil marked off something on a list in his hands. "I've marked you and your family off, Arthur, but who else have you got here?"

"These are the Cullens." Arthur waved his hand in our direction. We all took a step forward so we could introduce ourselves only for Basil and his friend to take a massive step backward.

"Vampires," they breathed, causing me to roll my eyes. It seemed these Ministry officials hadn't heard the good news. They thought we were dangerous. Maybe James should print some of Bella's updated information about us. "What are they doing here?" The other one continued with another question.

"I can guarantee we aren't dangerous," I said, stepping forward. I held my hand out to Carlisle, who handed over our pile of tickets. "If that were the case, do you think we'd be here with the Weasleys, Potters, or Lovegoods? And if you don't believe me, maybe you should ask Newt Scamander."

"Morning, boys." Newt tipped his imaginary hat to them.

"If you can just check our tickets, mark us off your list, and then let us know where our campsites are, it'd be much appreciated."

"U-u-uh s-s-sure," Basil stammered, leaning over and checking our tickets from as far back as he could. He marked our names off of his list before looking at where we were going to be. "Um, both you and t-t-the Weasleys will b-b-be in the f-first f-field. Talk to M-m-mr. Roberts up the h-hill about half a m-mile."

I nodded my head. "Thank you, Basil. I hope you get to see some of the match. _Let's go before we scare them to death._" I finished in a whisper so only my family could hear me.

Hermione, Bella, Luna, and now Ginny all linked hands and smiled up at the two Ministry officials. "Thank you, Mr. Basil." They all waved as they walked ahead of the rest of us, which caused us all to chuckle because Basil and his friends couldn't help but smile at the four of them.

We were all quiet as we walked away from the spot where we had landed. I was looking around at the beautiful scenery when a thought—no a picture—slipped into my brain. One that caused me to laugh out loud. I turned to walk backward so I could see Fred and George myself. "What the hell did you two do?"

I watched them carefully. If I hadn't been, I wouldn't have seen the small smirk that appeared on their faces. "What are you talking about?" they asked in unison.

"Why did Ron"—I glanced at the boy in question to see that he was not paying attention to us—"end up with a large purple tongue that looked like a snake?"

Laughter burst out from all around us. It seemed that just about everyone was listening. I could even see Fred and George trying to stifle their laughter. It seemed their "prank" had almost gotten them grounded from the World Cup. They just shrugged at me.

"Oh, no, uh uh. I want to know. What happened?"

It wasn't the twins who answered me though; it was Charlie. "The twins have been working on something they call the 'Skyving Snackboxes' all summer. It's their own brand of candy that gives you different results. Some like nausea, vomiting, boils on your face, things like that. The only problem they had was a lack of willing volunteers. So every now and again they'd slip a candy to one of us, or Mum and Dad. While their experiments have been a success, you could say, Mum has been none too pleased."

Bill snickered. "Of course, being who they are, they didn't heed Mum's warnings about stopping. Yesterday, they decided to test their latest invention after breakfast. All they did was leave some candy in the family room, in a bowl, on the table. Mum was out, Dad was at work, Percy was doing something in his room, which left only Ron, Ginny, us two"—he pointed at himself and Charlie—"and the twins. Now I don't know about the rest of them, but I'd had enough of their 'experiments' over the summer, so a random candy lying around was a big red flag to me."

"Tell me about it." Ginny groaned from in front of us, which caused me to spin around to see the girls walking ahead of me. "I learned that lesson after the first two times I found them. I guess Ron didn't because he came downstairs and plucked one of those Toffee's off the table and stuck it straight in his mouth. It didn't take five seconds before we heard muffled shouting. Since I was already in the kitchen, I was the first to see what had happened."

"She screamed so loud!" Fred and George finally laughed. "We thought someone was killing her so we all ran back downstairs only to find Ron fighting with his big purple tongue," George finished.

Fred sighed. "Then, of course, Mum came home and found Ron like that. After helping Ron fix his tongue, she stormed across the room and tore up our order forms, forbade us from making, or testing, anymore candies, then told us that we wouldn't be able to come to World Cup."

"So how did you end up here then?" Jasper asks from next to me.

Fred and George shrugged. According to their thoughts, they had been up in their room sulking. It was Bill who had the answer. "Mum explained everything to Dad when he got home, and try as hard as he could, he found it just the slightest bit funny. See, the reason Mum is so against their candies is because they want to open a joke store, and she wants them to go into the Ministry."

"I can't see that," I murmured.

"Neither can any of us," Bill said. "But Dad understands them, so he pled their case, and Mum relented. That's how they ended up here today."

"You were really lucky then, basically." Emmett looked over at them. He didn't think it was fair that Molly wasn't letting them be themselves. They had a dream, and they should be able to follow it. Emmett then looked at Neville, and for the life of him couldn't think of a profession—except maybe death eater—that he wouldn't want Neville to do. "I'm sure Molly will come around. One day."

"Don't be too sure," Fred and George muttered together.

We were quiet then because we could hear a lot of talking and carrying on coming from ahead of us. Once we crested the hill, we found an ordinary muggle campground, manned by an ordinary muggle, but what was ahead of us was definitely not muggle. I could see from our vantage point many different tents, and they were not normal. Some had chimneys, others were two story, and then there were whatever magical items happened to be around. How were they getting away with it?

Remus must have seen the confused look on my face because he leaned over to me. "They have to keep cursing the muggle owner with the Obliviatus spell. It helps to remove memories the Ministry doesn't want him to remember."

I nodded because I knew that spell. It had been used on Ron to make him forget everything about Harry and the gifts we vampires all had.

"Welcome to my humble campground," a voice sounded from next to us. "Never has it been quite so full."

"Mr. Roberts, I presume?" Carlisle stepped up when it seemed that Arthur faltered for a moment. Roberts and Carlisle shook hands.

"I am," Mr. Roberts replied before he looked around. "Lots of foreigners here today, and not just foreigners but weird people too. All dressed strangely."

"R-really?" Arthur stuttered, completely out of his element.

Mr. Roberts nodded before he looked over all of us. We were a rather large group. "Yup. Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"I'm Carlisle Cullen, and this is Arthur Weasley. I believe you have a few sites booked for us."

"Hmm, Cullen and Weasley." Mr. Roberts looked at a list that had names on it. "Ah, yes. Both of you are up next to the woods; you'll be neighbors. Only one night, right?"

"Yes, yes. With the option to extend if necessary," Arthur replied.

"Right. That'll be twenty-five each, thank you."

Carlisle reached into his back pocket for his wallet, sorted through the different pound notes, and pulled out the correct change without even thinking about it. But Arthur sorted through his wallet trying to figure it out, all while mumbling under his breath about the fact that he thought paper money was ridiculous before he turned to Harry to get some help, catching the attention of Mr. Roberts. Once Mr. Roberts started to question what kind of money Arthur was planning to pay with—if he didn't have paper money—another wizard popped in behind him and altered his memory, grumbling the whole time about Mr. Roberts needing to be obliviated ten times a day, before waving to Arthur and popping out again. Once the other wizard was gone, Arthur handed over a ten and a twenty-pound note to Mr. Roberts, whose eyes had glazed over. Mr. Roberts took the money, spun back to the window on the side of his house, before turning back around and handing over a couple maps and Arthur's change of five one-pound coins.

"See, now that's money!" Arthur exclaimed, placing the money back into his wallet. "How come all muggle money isn't like that?"

"Enjoy your stay," Mr. Roberts said with a dreamy, unconcerned look in his eyes before he turned and went back inside his little house, which overlooked the campground.

Emmett snatched the map from Carlisle before leading us into one of the largest gatherings of witches and wizards I've ever seen, and considering we lived at Hogwarts year round, that was saying a lot.

We paused after entering into tent city to see many wonderful sights. The tents got more and more elaborate the farther away from the muggle house we got. The decorations more so. There were flying shamrocks and leprechauns for those supporting the Irish. There were red flags proudly displaying Victor Krum flying around a pitch for those supporting the Bulgarians.

Arthur snorted as we continued on to our location. "We really can't help showing off when we get together like this. It really is no wonder Mr. Roberts needs to be continuously obliviated."

"Now I can say it." Remus chortled as we stopped at three empty sites and held his hands out wide. "Welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!"

~*~UHS~*~

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**Hmm ... so what do you think? And are you looking forward to the Quidditch World Cup? I know I am.**

**See you in a fortnight!**


	5. Chapter Four - The Quidditch World Cup

**Happy Friday everyone! I am so glad that this week is over, it's been a long one! I also cannot wait until my studying is finished, I also haven't had time to write and I miss it. Soon I hope. I look forward to delving back into this world.**

**Big thanks go to Pienuniek and Alice's White Rabbit. I would be totally lost without either one of them. Their encouragement, red pens, and advice are invaluable.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter don't belong to me, the honour goes to SM and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I know you're all excited for this, so I'll see you at the bottom.**

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**Chapter Four ~ The Quidditch World Cup**

"Woohoo!" We all cheered at Remus's statement. We were here, we were going to see professional grade quidditch, and we were more excited than I could tell you. We all pulled our backpacks off as we stretched and celebrated getting here. Once that was done, I pulled the backpack I had been carrying over to me to pull out our tent while nobody was looking.

I frowned when I looked into my pack. These didn't look like my things, and the tent wasn't on top of everything else.

I heard Bella snort from next to me before she burst into a fit of giggles. "For all your chivalry, Edward, you ended up taking the wrong pack. Look!" She leaned her pack toward me, and there on top was the tent I was going to set up.

I shook my head, reaching in—while monitoring the people directly around us—and pulling out the tent. "How the hell did that happen?"

"Who knows? They are kind of similar though. Now who is doing what to set up?" Bella asked, turning to look at everyone else.

Sirius was the one who answered her question; it was something he'd been thinking about. "You four"—he pointed to Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and me—"get to setting up these tents. The twins, Neville, and Harry can go and fetch water. Charlie, Bill, and Ron, you head over into the woods there and collect some wood for the fire. And girls, if you wouldn't mind, could you please hang all our décor … what?"

I snickered, looking at the girls because with Sirius's words they had all spun to look at him with their hands on their hips. "So we're only good for decorating?" Bella demanded

"Uh … yes?" Sirius asked instead of answering.

"I think I'm gonna go help Ron and … uh … the others," Arthur said before sidestepping away from Sirius and practically running after his sons.

Remus and Shane were trying to quietly laugh at their friend's predicament. Sirius had really stepped in it this time. He was usually more sensitive than that, but I think his excitement had gotten to him.

Emmett and Jasper had taken Arthur's tent from him—the one we had used at the several Christmases we'd shared at the Weasleys. I started setting up ours with Carlisle. Carlisle still didn't see how magic was going to make these tents any bigger. He looked over at Arthur's—_it's only a two-person tent_! was his loudest thought. _And ours … how the hell were we going to fit fourteen into a four-man tent!_ He really didn't get it yet.

"You look like you're trying to work out a complex math problem, Carlisle. Everything okay?" I asked when he came to stand beside me as we looked at our handiwork.

"I just don't understand how we'll all fit!" he said, throwing his hands in the air.

I laughed at him. "After all the things we've seen, all the things you've done, all the spells I've performed, you can't think of one thing—one spell—that would help to make the inside of the tent larger?"

He groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. I slapped him on the back with a chuckle before he shook his head in disbelief. I couldn't believe he had overlooked the obvious. For crying out loud, I had just used the damn spell to make our backpacks larger. How could he not have thought about that when it came to the tent?

"Wow, this place is awesome!" Carlisle's echoing voice came from inside the tent. Once he'd finished lamenting the fact that he'd forgotten the spell, he ducked inside to have a look.

Remus walked past me to the opening saying, "Don't worry, he'll think magic first before long."

Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Bella were all pulling decorations out of their bags, both red and green. There was no even split, nor were we supporting one team or the other, so the girls had decided to decorate with both. I left them to it and decided to see exactly what the inside of our tent looked like.

I ducked and went inside the tent flap only to have my mouth drop open in shock. I couldn't believe how many … rooms were inside that tent. Granted, it was all open, no actual doors or anything, but still. I mean, there was a dining room with a table and everything! There were three other open rooms where I could see two sets of bunk beds in each. Plenty of room for everyone to sleep—that needed sleep, and there were several comfy chairs and cushions around the potbelly stove in the middle of the tent.

I would never ever get tired of magic.

I placed my pack down in a room I knew the girls would appreciate and the boys would steer clear of. I snorted at the frills and swirls before stepping back outside to see what the girls had done.

"Looking good, ladies." I admired the shamrocks, the Irish flag along with a Bulgarian one, a couple with a flying Krum. "Oh, Miss Ginny, I hear congratulations are in order. You'll be joining us in classes this year?"

It took a couple of seconds but when it clicked for Hermione, Bella, and Luna, they squealed and launched themselves at Ginny. They jumped around, hugging and drawing the attention of everyone in the tents.

"What's going on?" Shane asked after laughing at the girls.

I spun to face him. "It seems Ginny here passed not only her second year finals, but her third year ones, too. She'll be joining us in fourth year this year!"

Congratulations flew around the campsite between all of us there, and when the others came back from collecting firewood and water, they joined in with their congratulations. All except for Ron, who threw down his firewood and stormed into the Weasley tent. From the small glimpse inside their tent, it was the same as the marquee we used at Christmas; they'd just added hammocks for everyone to sleep in.

To celebrate Ginny skipping a grade, we lit a fire and pulled out some of the food we had brought with us. Esme had managed to sneak in some marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers, so we spent some time after lunch teaching the others how to make S'mores while Arthur pointed out all the different people from the ministry and kept up a running commentary on them. Of course, everyone in the Weasley family knew them all already, so it was more for our benefit.

"That was Cuthbert Mockridge, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office … here comes Gilbert Wimple—he's with the Committee on Experimental Charms, and he's had those horns for a while now … Hello, Arnie." He waved to a gentleman walking past. "Arnold Peasegood, he's an Obliviator—member of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, you know … and that's Bode and Croaker," his voice lowered to a whisper. "They're unspeakables."

"They're what?" Emmett interrupted.

Arthur nodded and leaned in to Emmett some more. "From the Department of Mysteries … Top Secret. I have no idea what they do."

Emmett leaned back, but his face said it all. He was fascinated, and he really wanted to know what they did in that particular department. Emmett was about to say something when he was interrupted by a very loud voice. "Arthur, old man! Wonderful turnout, don't you think? Perfect weather, not a cloud in the sky."

We looked up to find a rather exuberant wizard approaching. He was decked out in horizontal stripes of yellow and black with a rather large wasp on the front. "Ludo! How are you doing? Everyone"—Arthur turned to face the large group of us—"this is the man of the hour, Ludo Bagman. I'm not sure the World Cup would be here in England if not for this man! Ludo, these are my children"—he ran through all of them, including Percy, who was seething at the way Ludo ran his department but wanted to meet anyone in the Ministry all the same —"we have the Cullens. They bought the other skybox."—Arthur pointed to us as he called our names. "We also have Newt Scamander and the Lovegoods, Xenophilius and his daughter Luna, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Shane Newtonian, Harry Potter, and Neville Longbottom."

The large man, who probably shouldn't be wearing his old quidditch uniform, if what I was reading from him was correct, did a double take when Harry and Neville's names were said. I wasn't interested in what Ludo thought of Harry and Neville because I was intently listening to Percy's thoughts. Something piqued my interest, and Percy could see it when he spun around to take his seat. I tilted my head to let him know he had my attention.

_A few months ago one of Ludo's people went on vacation. The only problem was … she never returned. Now, everyone in the office knows that Bertha Jorkins tended to get turned around, even in the ministry, but she's always showed up not long after. To this day, nobody has seen her, and it's very concerning. Except for the one person who should be concerned._ Percy tilted his head in the direction of Ludo, who had pulled up a cushion and folded his rather large frame next to Arthur. In fact, they were having the very conversation Percy was talking about. _He keeps blowing it off because Bertha did have a terrible sense of direction, but her memory is nowhere near as bad as he's making it out to be._

_I don't like him._ I heard from next to me where Bella had sat down. _He's very dismissive. He should be more concerned about his teammate._

I pulled her closer, kissed the top of her head, while I nodded. I was pretty sure I agreed with Percy—he should be more concerned.

"You know, Barty Crouch says the same thing. I'm sure she'll be fine. In fact, that's what I'm doing here, looking for Barty. I'm having a problem with my Bulgarian opposite, and he could help. Seeing that he speaks several languages. Could you do me up a brew while we wait? Fancy a bet on the match?" Ludo looked around with beady eyes. He knew we had money, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get a skybox, and he wanted to get his greedy hands on it.

I could see that Fred and George had perked up at the thought of a bet, so had Emmett and Jasper. But I could also see inside Ludo's mind. "Jasper, don't. And stop the twins and Emmett." I whispered, causing Jasper to look up at me, as did Emmett. "He doesn't have the funds to back up any bets he makes. He hasn't got anything left from his Quidditch days. If you want to bet, make one with Fred and George after he goes."

Arthur shook his head to Ludo's question. I watched Ludo frown as Jasper and Emmett leaned in to talk to Fred and George. He could see his bet slipping away from him.

"Aha, there he is. Barty, come join us!" Ludo almost shouted, making some of us jump with the sound of his voice. A tall, thin man had apparated behind us. He was impeccably dressed in his suit, tie, vest, and shoes so shiny you could see your reflection in them. His mustache was trimmed more neatly than I had seen on someone in a long time. "Pull up some grass, Barty!"

_Now there's a man I could trust. Something I learned early on: an impeccably dressed man is a trustworthy man,_ Carlisle thought, looking at Barty Crouch. I shook my head—that was a very muggle view Carlisle had taken. Eventually, though, he would learn.

Ludo Bagman was making introductions around our very large group, so while he did that, I thought I'd give reading Barty's thoughts a try. At first, I couldn't hear anything. I thought it might be because there were just so many minds around us. I leaned down to my girl so she could hear me whisper over all of the noise. "Can you do me a favor, beautiful?"

I felt Bella blush against my shoulder, and for a moment, I couldn't figure out why until I realized I had never called her that before._ Anything, Edward. You know that. What do you need?_

"Could you try to place your shield around me, you, and Mr. Crouch please? I want to try to see what he's thinking." I kissed the top of her head.

_Of course. Why?_

"Don't know. Just a feeling."

Bella nodded. As far as she was concerned, that was all she needed. I felt when she expanded her shield and could sense when she started to pull it back in and wrap it, essentially, around herself, me, and Barty Crouch. I was awed. Over the last four years, she'd really perfected her shield. It would certainly come in handy, of that I was sure. Once Bella had it in position, I realized I couldn't hear anything from Barty Crouch at all.

See, most wizards didn't bother to keep their minds closed all the time. It was too tiring, even for the most experienced Occlumens. Sure, their minds would close from time to time but not as a constant. I couldn't imagine how tired he was all the time; it certainly explained his pallor.

_Anything?_ Bella asked from beside me.

"No. He's like you used to be before we found your shield. I can't hear a thing from him."

_Huh. Wonder why?_

It certainly was interesting. But it would have to remain a mystery; it's not like I could keep an eye on him when he wasn't in my range. So in answer to Bella's question, I just shrugged my shoulders. What could we do?

"No, thank you, Weathersby," Crouch said in response to Percy's question about tea, causing not only Fred and George but Emmett and Jasper to snicker at Crouch's name for Percy. "I can't actually stay. I've been trying to find Ludo for an hour." Crouch turned to the man in question. "The Bulgarian Minister wants to add another twelve seats to the box."

"Oh! Is that what he was after?" Ludo asked. "I don't know why I was placed with them. What was the point if I can't understand them?"

"You are a ministry delegate; you should be fluent in many languages! For now, though, we must be off. Enjoy the match, everyone." Barty Crouch looked around at us all before he nodded and walked away without waiting for Ludo Bagman to catch up.

For his part, Ludo almost jumped to his feet, a feat for a man of his size, and trailed after Crouch as fast as he could. "Barty, wait. Let me catch up, Barty."

I thought, for sure, after lunch that Bella, Hermione, Harry, Neville, and Luna would have a nap, seeing as they were up earlier than any other morning, but they surprised me by wanting to walk around and see some of the other decorations. It was the adults who decided they wanted a nap, so it was left to us vampires to supervise the others and to make sure they didn't get into trouble.

I snorted to myself. It wasn't the younger ones who would get into trouble; it would be Emmett we would have to watch out for.

For the next few hours, we wandered around the large campground, experiencing all there was when a large group of wizards and witches got together. We found Dean, whose family were proudly supporting the Irish. As if the green flags and clothes weren't enough, they also had managed to surround themselves in a cloud of green smoke. Ron decided to hang around with them while we continued to look around. We found Oliver Wood during our travels—our former Gryffindor team captain—he had finished last year, and he stole Harry to introduce to his parents. Well, he introduced us all, but Harry was his main focus.

By the time we made it back to the campsite, dusk was starting to settle in, and it seemed that the ministry officials who had been posted around the campground had given up on stopping the blatant use of magic in front of muggles. In fact, they couldn't have stopped the multitude of vendors peddling their wares who continued to pop in and out of the area if they tried. We were all excited about the different things that were for sale. There was everything from rosettes that lit up—green for Ireland, red for Bulgaria—and squealed the names of the players from their team. Flags that played their national anthem as you waved them around, pointed green hats with dancing shamrocks, and Bulgarian scarves with lions on them that really roared. The ones I found most exciting were the Firebolt models, as long as my hand, which actually flew! Emmett enjoyed the models of famous players who walked around in the palm of his hand, preening themselves.

"Oh, my god! Edward, look!" Emmett called to me. I walked over to him, leaving Bella looking through the miniature brooms for other styles than just Firebolts. Harry had wandered off to another vendor with Neville.

"What's up, Emmett?"

"Look!" He thrust his hand in my direction, showing me that his figure of Krum, the Bulgarian seeker, had mounted a Firebolt model and was flying around his palm. "How cool is that?"

"That is very cool." We watched in fascination until we were interrupted by Bella.

"Look what I found. With these"—she held out a small box, very similar to the box holding the quidditch balls at school— "we have enough to make our own miniature game!"

"Is that the snitch? And …" I asked excited.

She nodded fast like a bobble-headed doll. "Everything needed to play a game of quidditch!"

"What about referees?" Jasper asked, coming up alongside Emmett with a few of his own brooms and players.

"Us of course, or at least one of us. What do you think?" Bella beamed up at her brothers while Hermione and Luna chuckled at her.

"Perfect!" They both answered her before Emmett continued. "I'll just make an enclosure when we get home so none of the players, or the snitch, can escape too far."

We'd just spun to head back to the tents when Harry and Neville ran up to us. Harry calling out. "You weren't going to forget about us, were you?"

Hermione faked a gasp as she looked over at the boys. "Of course not. We would never!"

"What have you got there, Harry?" Luna enquired softly, trying to peek at the bags the boys were carrying.

Harry pulled his bag back away from prying eyes with a laugh. "You'll find out when we get back. I got enough for everyone."

I thought about everything we had bought as we wound our way back to our tents. We had probably wasted more money than was entirely necessary, but who knows when we'd attend another event such as this. Although, in saying that, we had more time than most to do exactly that.

Harry and Neville had all of us sit down around the table inside our tent when we'd gotten back. We were all there except for Ron, but I could hear him on his way. Instead of making us wait, Harry handed everyone an object that was shaped like a muggle telescope; although, it certainly didn't look like any telescope I'd ever seen. Granted, when I was a kid, all telescopes were made of brass, much like these. The biggest difference was that these ones had several knobs and dials all over the casing, then there were several lenses on one side of the eyepiece.

Harry started to explain as Ron walked through the flap of our tent and was handed a telescope by Fred. "These are called omnioculars. The vendor told me that with these each of us will be able to replay action and slow everything down. They can even flash up a play-by-play breakdown if we need it. I thought we all could do with a pair. Do you like them?"

"Hell, yeah!" Jasper and Emmett high-fived before Emmett continued. "These are the best idea."

Everyone chuckled at them because they were always so excited about something new. I looked around as everyone fiddled with their Omnioculars, learning how to make them work, but Ron caught my attention. He looked down at the gift from Harry. Ron couldn't understand why Harry would buy something for him when all he'd done was give him grief? It made no sense to him. In fact, it seemed that something was finally getting through to Ron because he didn't feel worthy of the gift Harry had given him.

Maybe, hopefully, we'd start to see a change in Ron? I could hope, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Once everyone was finished figuring out their gifts, the trash talking broke out among everyone, which of course led to a round of bets being made. I knew it would happen, and I was ever so much happier that Fred and George were making their bets with Jasper and Emmett. Of course, the twins couldn't just bet normally. Oh no, they had to bet that Ireland would win but Viktor Krum would catch the snitch. Fred and George hadn't bought anything from any of the vendors, so they pooled their money together and placed their bet with Emmett and Jasper—all of thirty-seven galleons, fifteen sickles, three knuts, and to sweeten the deal, a fake wand.

_Molly will be furious,_ Bella thought as she looked up at me. She had been watching the twins as well. _She doesn't like it when the boys place bets. She thinks it's a waste of money._

"It's only a waste if they lose. I honestly think they have a better chance of winning at this than Emmett and Jasper." Both men in question looked up to poke their tongues out at me, which caused Bella and I to laugh.

_What do they need the money for?_

I shrugged. "They're keeping that one pretty close to the vest, but if I had to hazard a guess, it would be related to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."

_Ohhh, they're going to cross Molly again with those? Are they mad?_

"Possibly." I chuckled. "But they have a vision, and I don't think they should be kept from it because Molly wants something different for them. No parent should push their wants onto their children." The last part came out a little bitterly, causing Carlisle's head to snap up. Before he thought to apologize, I shook my head. I had forgiven Carlisle for the most part, but occasionally, things like this slipped out. I couldn't help it.

Bella kissed the very corner of my mouth. _Well then, we should support them, as long as we don't get caught._

I laughed at her very naughty little smirk. Just as I was about to reply, there was a deep, booming gong coming from the direction of the forest next to us.

"It's time!" Arthur stood, almost shaking with excitement. I actually couldn't tell who was more excited—the children or the adults. We all followed Arthur's lead and stood up while donning either the red or the green, then followed him out of the tent, only to find a path leading into the forest lit up with red and green lights. "This way!"

The sound of thousands of people moving through the forest was monumental. There was laughing, talking, and singing. On top of that, there was the sound of feet trampling over the underbrush that added to the amount of sound being made. The best part about all of it—as I looked around—was the fact that everyone was happy. They all had bright smiles on their faces, sparkling light in their eyes, and according to Jasper, the feelings floating around were some of the best he'd ever felt, which he couldn't help sharing back out to everyone around him. It made for some of the best atmospheres I'd ever been a part of.

_This is awesome, _Bella thought. _I've never felt anything like this._

"Me either. I mean, sure, we've been in some of the happiest places. Emmett dragged us to Disney World once, but this is just _more._" I smiled down at Bella.

"Disney World isn't all that happy, you know!" Jasper said from beside Carlisle in front of us. "Lots of harried parents, trying to get from one ride to the next. Screaming kids who want anything and everything they put their hands on, and stressed out employees trying not to get aggravated at all the noise and 'happy' being in the happiest place on earth every day of the year."

I snorted out a laugh at Jasper's description. It was much like that.

"So, Disney not so happy then?" Bella laughed.

The others chuckled around us. But I answered her question. "That's not entirely true. It is happy. People love it there, but it can be very stressful too. But here, it's just happiness and excitement. Things our resident empath enjoys very much."

"He's not the only one," Emmett joined in. "The great thing about having said resident empath is that when we have overwhelming feelings like what are around today, he can't help but share them. Of course, it works both ways. When there are bad ones around …"

"They get shared too," Hermione finished before she looked up at Jasper. "Can you keep them to yourself?"

"I can, but when they're overwhelming, it makes it hard to." Jasper nodded. He opened his mouth to continue talking but snapped it shut when we stepped out of the other side of the trees to find ourselves in the shadow of a really huge stadium.

"Whoa," we all said, awed at the sight in front of us.

Arthur was the one to break our stunned silence. "They did a brilliant job, didn't they?"

"It's certainly nothing we've ever seen before," Carlisle murmured. "I mean, the muggles have some really large stadiums for their sports, but nothing like this. This has to rival the stadium being built in Sydney for the Summer Olympics—that's going to hold almost eighty-five thousand people."

Arthur nodded, thinking about just how many seats were going to be inside this stadium. "Well, let's not dilly dally any longer. We want to get to our seats. This is our way up to the skyboxes."

We followed Arthur up flight after flight of stairs, all carpeted in rich purple carpet. Other witches and wizards exited the stairwell until we were one of the few continuing to climb.

Arthur kept up a steady stream of commentary the higher we went. "It's taken a team of about five hundred ministry witches and wizards all year to prepare this place. Between making the stadium itself and covering it with a range of muggle repelling charms, it's taken most of the year."

"What do you mean, muggle repelling charms?" Carlisle asked.

Shane, Sirius, and Remus chuckled at his innocence just as Arthur answered. "Every time muggles have come anywhere near here they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments they've had elsewhere … bless them."

I couldn't help but laugh at the look on Carlisle's face. He wondered if he'd ever come into contact with something like that because there had been many times over his long life that he had been going somewhere then suddenly realized he had somewhere else to be.

"It's always a possibility, Carlisle. Who knows what we've run into before we got here?" I snickered again because his face was horrified that he might have been that close to magic and not known. He knew without a doubt he would have moved us on if he'd been confronted with magic that close. Then he dropped his head with guilt because he knew now that it would have been even more detrimental to me. He was sorrier than he could say about what he had done to me in the past.

"Never mind." I clapped him on the shoulder. "You're making up for it."

"Okay, Cullens and the rest," Arthur chuckled. "Your skybox is down there. The only other door on this level. Weasleys, this is us here! Enjoy the match!"

"You too," all fourteen of us chanted together before laughing. We practically ran down the hallway and fell through the door to see the box we'd bought.

Once again, it was decorated in purple. Purple carpet and purple gilt-covered chairs.

"What a view!" Emmett exclaimed from the window. "We're almost exactly in the middle of the stadium."

I walked up, standing next to Emmett, and looked out. We were at the very top of the stadium and almost an equal distance between the golden goalposts at either end. I'd say we were closer to the ones on the right while the Minister's box with the Weasleys was closer to the other set on the left, placing each box at the very center but next to each other.

"Wow, look how full it is." Hermione marveled from between Jasper and Emmett.

"A hundred thousand I heard Arthur think earlier," I said. "Even still, seeing that many witches and wizards from all over the world is fascinating."

Almost directly opposite us was a gigantic blackboard. Gold lettering kept playing over it like an invisible hand was writing something then erasing it. It took me a second to realize it was one huge advertising billboard. The first thing I read was:

_The Bluebottle: A broom for All the Family — safe, reliable and with In-built Anti-Burgler Buzzer._

Then more followed:

_Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess-Remover: No Pain, No Stain!_

_Gladrags Wizards Wear — London, Paris, Hogsmeade._

_Berty Botts Every Flavor Beans: A risk with every mouthful._

_The Masen Consortium of Printing: If you have a book that needs publishing, then hire our presses and expertise to do just that. Self-publishing, the future of books, everywhere!_

_Madam Malkin's Robes — London: A robe for every occasion._

"Oh, my Merlin!" Bella squealed, catching our attention before she launched at Remus. "I can't believe you got our name out there on the board for everyone to see! Well done!"

The others around us were confused, including myself for a few seconds, until I remembered what I had read. Then I spun around and almost shook Remus's hand too hard. "You got our name on the blackboard across the way. I knew placing you in charge of finding authors to publish was a great idea, but you've even surpassed my expectations this early. How the hell did you manage that?"

Before he could answer the whole box exploded into cheers and congratulations. They weren't just for Remus, though; they were for Bella and me too. It seemed we'd pulled together a good team, and we were going to make it because they were good. In the end, it didn't matter how the notice got on the board, just that he'd made it happen. I couldn't be prouder of them if I tried.

After calming down, we decided to take our seats so we didn't miss any of the upcoming festivities. Bella sat next to me and leaned up against my shoulder. She was tall enough now that I didn't have to lean down to kiss the top of her head anymore. I checked in on the Weasleys in the box next door only to find that they had been joined by Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy, and that there was a rather small—even for their size—house elf perched on the end of the second row of chairs. George was making small talk with the elf, and from what I heard in his mind, her name was Winky. She was keeping the chair for her master—Barty Crouch.

It was strange to see a house elf there, on its own, without its masters. As far as I could tell, they never went anywhere without them unless under orders to do so, and that's what I figured this was about. I shrugged my shoulders; it had nothing to do with me.

My thoughts were interrupted by an almost deafening voice that rang out around the stadium. "Ladies and gentleman … welcome … welcome. My name is Ludo Bagman, and I am your announcer for the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

Cheers rent the stadium along with the many myriad of flags being waved that played an absolutely awful cacophony of sound that made up this entire thrilling experience. While this was going on, the blackboard across from us was wiped clean of the Berty Botts advertisement and was replaced with IRELAND: ZERO and BULGARIA: ZERO, turning it into our scoreboard for the match.

"Without further ado," Ludo's voice boomed again, "I give you the mascots from Bulgaria!"

Cheering erupted from the completely red end of the stadium behind the fifty-foot goal posts. While the humans around us picked up their Omnioculars to see what was coming out from the Bulgarian end, all the immortal creatures leaned forward to get a better look around the seats. I heard Bella groan from next to me and flop backward the very second Bulgaria's first mascot stepped onto the pitch. Before long, there were no less than a hundred beautiful women out on the pitch. With long silvery-blonde hair that seemed to flow out behind them, without the aid of the breeze, and skin that seemed to glimmer in the lights of the stadium, they rivalled any supermodel I had ever seen. Granted, none of them held a candle to my girl, but I could appreciate beauty when I saw it.

"What are they?" I heard Neville breathe from down the row when the women started to dance.

I turned to look at Shane when he answered Neville. "They are full-blooded Veela. Interesting, aren't they?"

I could tell something was off with Sirius and Remus and tilted my head to look at them. It was when it registered what Shane had said that I looked down toward Bella, who was sitting there with her head back and her eyes closed. "That's what your mother looked like?"

"Yes," Bella growled as I heard the door open and several people file in. "My 'mother'," she said with air quotes, standing up and glaring down at the pitch, "looks exactly like that, and if you look in the third row, five from the left, you'll find the woman who decided that living in her grief, that leaving her daughter alone in the world, who decided that her daughter was better off as an orphan is down there _seducing_ every single unmated male in this _entire_ stadium! Along with the rest of those homewreckers, dancing that stupid dance."

Our family was stunned silent by the vitriol that was pouring out of Bella. They hadn't known she had been that upset at everything that had happened to her before. Hermione and Luna jumped up to try to calm Bella down. All the while, furious thoughts exploded from behind us at Bella's words. I looked around the room to see that Bella was right. The longer the dancing went on, the more Neville and Harry became entranced. Their minds were blank except for one thing, and that was doing anything to impress the beautiful women down there on the pitch. The other single men in the room had their ears blocked with their fingers, all except for Shane, but I figured he was still in love with Lily, and that made him exempt from their seduction.

"Emmett, Jasper, make sure those two don't do anything stupid." I pointed to the boys before turning and facing the angry thoughts from behind me only to realize that Bella had just insulted the Bulgarian Minister. "I'm sorry, sir, but she has every right to be angry. Her mother did every one of those things she just described, and now she's down there, dancing like her life depended on it."

I stood as the minister made his way over to me. Shaking his hand when he held it out to me. "Her mother, a Veela?" he asked me in broken English, much to the surprise of Minister Cornelius Fudge and Barty Crouch.

"Yes, sir," I answered. "Renee Swan. She was married to the late, great Auror, Charlie Swan."

I saw—what some would call a light bulb moment—happen to the Bulgarian Minister. "Renee Higginbotham. I understand her"—he pointed to Bella—"her anger. Tell her, sorry for mother."

Bella walked over and laced her fingers with mine. "Thank you, Minister. And I apologize for my outburst. I didn't mean to insult you or your team."

"Mates?" he asked us, waving off her apology. We nodded to his enquiry. The minister reached out and placed his hands on our heads. "We hope you have long, happy life. Enjoy match."

"Thank you." We waved as the Bulgarian entourage and the British delegates left the box, and by the time we'd taken our seats, the dancing Veela had finished. I snuggled Bella under my arm and held her tightly, letting her know I was here for her, no matter what.

I looked down at the gathering of Veela at the side of the pitch and managed to pick out Renee from the group. I could see subtle similarities she shared with my girl, but I could tell that most of her features came from Charlie. I was never so glad that Bella stood out from the rest of her kin than I was right at that moment.

"Thank you, Bulgaria," roared Ludo's voice. "And now … give a warm welcome to the Irish National Team mascots!"

The cheers were deafening from the solid green end, along with the mishmash sounds of thousands of the flags playing the Irish National Anthem. And all of it only got louder when a large green and gold comet zoomed into the stadium and around the stands. It made a lap before it split into two golden balls that hovered at either set of goal posts with a beautiful rainbow stretched between. The crowd was suitably awed at the sight before them before the rainbow faded. The golden lights joined together to turn into a large green shamrock that showered the crowd in gold coins. There were many celebrating the gold falling into the hands and their laps, but none more so than Ronald Weasley. He wanted to pay Harry back for his Omnioculars because he didn't like being indebted to him. But he also wanted more of his own money.

What I couldn't believe was how many people believed that this money would be staying in their pockets. If it was anything like the money Ludo Bagman was making his bets with, then it would disappear before the night was out.

"That isn't just a simple ball of light!" Bella yelled, pointing to the large shamrock still floating in the sky. I looked closer and realized she was right. The large shamrock wasn't one light; it was composed of hundreds of little bearded men, wearing red waistcoats and holding green or gold lanterns. "They're leprechauns!"

Eventually, the leprechauns floated down to the pitch, opposite where the Veela had taken up residence. Both sides seemed to be a little cold toward each other, but then I suppose that was normal—they were both fighting for the title.

Once again, Ludo's voice called out loudly across the stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you could give a huge round of applause for the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team." The round of applause was louder than anything that had been given before. "I give you — Dimitrov! Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov!" As Ludo called each of the team members names, a scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick shot out of an entrance onto the pitch far below to loud applause. "And, of course, their seeker, KRUM!"

It wasn't just the noise from outside our box that was deafening, it also came from inside. Emmett and Jasper were on their feet, screaming like their lives depended on it, as were Harry and Neville. It all caused the girls to laugh because the boys joined together to do a ridiculous happy dance.

I looked down at Krum, trying to see what the fuss was all about. I couldn't see it. Krum was thin with dark hair and sallow skin. He also had a large, curved nose and thick black eyebrows. To me, he looked a little like a vulture, only much larger. It was hard to think that this man-child was only eighteen and still in school.

My observations were interrupted by Ludo's voice shouting. "Time to greet the Irish National Quidditch Team. Presenting — Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Muller! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaand their seeker, Lynch!"

Instead of coming out as individuals when called, the Irish team flew out as one green blur, racing around the pitch to raucous cheers and screams.

I took a closer look at all the players on the pitch and noticed, to even out the playing field, all of them were riding on the new Firebolts. No wonder the vendor was only selling Firebolt models.

"We can't forget our illustrious referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, all the way from Egypt, Hassan Mostafa!" A short balding man, dressed in gold, with a mustache that would rival Burt Reynolds in the Smokey and the Bandit movies, walked out onto the pitch. There was a silver whistle poking out from under his impressive mustache, he carried his broom in one hand, and thanks to the wand in his other hand, he levitated a large wooden crate in front of him.

Once he was in position on the sidelines between the two teams, the box was placed on the ground. When he mounted his broom, both sides did the same thing. The referee kicked the box, releasing the four balls inside. The scarlet quaffle, the black bludgers, and the golden-winged snitch.

Mostafa then took off into the air, and with a blow of his whistle, the game had started.

I had never seen quidditch played like this before. I had thought the games at school were fast paced, but they had nothing on these professional players. In fact, it was so fast that Ludo Bagman barely had enough time to say the player's name who had the quaffle, let alone what they were doing with the ball.

It sounded something like this: "It's Mullet with the quaffle. Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet. Troy! Levski! Moran!"

I held my new Omnioculars up so they could record whatever I was looking at. I decided if there was going to be a great move, then I could look at it after a goal was scored. And that moment came after Troy scored the first goal for Ireland. I was able to rewind them and watched as Troy, Moran, and Mullet pulled off a triangle leading down the pitch, which the Omnioculars called the _Hawkshead Attacking Formation_, before they seamlessly moved into a _Porskoff Ploy_. This move involved Troy arching up and drawing the Bulgarian chaser Ivanova away, only for Troy to drop the quaffle directly into the hands of his teammate, Moran. Once Volkov, one of the Bulgarian beaters, drove a bludger in the direction of Moran, there was a short scuffle for the quaffle before Troy eventually got it back and scored the first goal.

It wasn't only the crowd that was going crazy over the first goal, but the Irish mascots, as well. They, again, formed their giant shamrock and rained gold coins down on the supporters. It was certainly a sight to see.

I'd seen and read enough about quidditch that I could tell the Irish chasers were some of the very best in the world. They worked like a well-oiled machine, almost like they had my ability to read minds. They were so good, that in a matter of minutes, they'd managed to score another two goals. That made the scoreboard flash with IRELAND: THIRTY, BULGARIA: ZERO, much to the thunderous applause of all the Irish supporters in the crowd and in the two skyboxes.

I couldn't believe how fun this was. It made me wish that I had done this with my brothers sooner than today.

After that, the match became so much faster, but also much more brutal. The Bulgarian beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, were almost nasty in the way they pelted the bludgers at the Irish chasers. The Bulgarians interrupted many a great play with those bludgers eventually giving their chaser, Ivanova, a chance to break free of the group, race down the pitch, dodge the Irish keeper Ryan, and score Bulgaria their first goal.

"Block your ears, boys!" Shane yelled to Neville and Harry, just seconds before the Bulgarian Veela started to dance. Thank goodness they didn't dance for very long; Bella may have died of embarrassment if they had.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova—Merlin, what's this?"

Ludo's commentary was interrupted by the two seekers, Krum and Lynch, careening straight down to the ground. They were so fast I swore they were …

"They're going to crash!" Luna jumped up, yelling and pointing in their direction.

"No! He's doing the feint!" Jasper and Emmett followed Luna's example. "Only the Irish seeker is going to crash!"

I spun back to the sight on the pitch to see that Jasper and Emmett were right, the Irish seeker landed on the ground with a thump that was even audible to the humans in our box, but Krum had pulled out at the last second.

"Ohhh, that looks bad," Ludo crooned. "Let's get the medi-wizards out there to tend to him."

While Lynch was being tended to, I brought my Omnioculars back up and rewound the play, only to see that my brothers were right. While the fall played out in slow motion, writing flashed up in front of my eyes. _The_ _Wronski Feint—dangerous Seeker Diversion_.

My brothers were right—Krum was something else. He moved on his broom better than anyone I'd ever seen, even Harry. And I always thought his broom was an extension of him. I watched Krum now and could see that while the medics were reviving Lynch from his crash, Krum was using the time—far above the pitch—to search for the snitch. He'd never seen it in the first place, using the feint to do exactly what he was doing now. He was smart. I'd give him that.

A roar from the crowd brought my attention back to the pitch to see that Lynch had been revived and was waving to Ireland's supporters. He mounted his broom once more and took off to a place away from Krum. I could only imagine that he didn't want to experience that crash ever again.

Once play resumed, at the trill of Mostafa's whistle, the Irish seemed to have a renewed sense of purpose. Play was still as fast as before, if not more brutal, but within fifteen minutes, Ireland had scored ten more goals leading one hundred and thirty points to ten!

Mullet gained control of the quaffle and shot off down the pitch, only to collide right into the Bulgarian keeper, Zograf, when he flew out to meet her. If I hadn't had my vampire sight, I would have missed all the elbows he threw in her direction. A massive roar of disapproval came from the Ireland supporters, almost louder than anything else.

"And that's a foul for Ireland!" Ludo shouted in his magnified voice. "And Mostafa is taking Zograf to task for his excessive use of elbows."

The leprechauns flew into the air, this time though instead of the shamrock, they pulled themselves into words. HA HA HA was displayed across the far side of the pitch, which then caused the Veela to stand, toss their hair, and begin to dance again. I laughed as Harry, Neville, Sirius, and Remus rushed to cover their ears before laughing even louder when I saw that the referee was posing—flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache—in front of the very same Veela trying to distract the crowd from the foul.

Ludo's voice bellowed out in response to the laughter that was coming from around the stadium, even though he himself sounded very amused. "Ohhhhh! We can't have that. Somebody run out and slap the referee!"

More laughter erupted from the crowd when a medi-wizard—with his own fingers stuffed in his ears—came tearing out onto the pitch, over to the referee, and then kicked him in the shins! To try to stave off his embarrassment, the referee started to yell at the Veela, who turned absolutely mutinous at his words.

"It seems that Mostafa is trying to send the Bulgarian Team mascots off the field. This could turn very nasty." Ludo laughed.

He wasn't wrong because Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian beaters, flew down and landed on either side of Mostafa. With wildly gesticulating arms, they started arguing furiously, all while pointing to the leprechauns, who had now morphed into the words HEE HEE HEE. With a clear gesture of stabbing his finger in the air, Mostafa told the beaters to get back in the air, and when they refused, he blew two sharp short blows of his whistle. That caused Volkov and Vulchanov to get back on their brooms and shoot back into the air.

"Two penalties for Ireland! Troy takes control of the quaffle …"

When play resumed after the penalties, the ferocity surprised even me, considering how feral vampires could get. These witches and wizards could have put us to shame. The violence was something my vampire side was very much enjoying. I leaned forward in my chair with unrestrained glee as the beaters on both teams pelted the others with bludgers. The Bulgarians were worse, though, because they seemed to not care if they were hitting bludger or human.

Moran had the quaffle and was streaking down the pitch toward the goal posts when Dimitrov shot straight at her, deliberately colliding with her and nearly knocking her off her broom.

"Foul!" shouted not only the Irish supporters—who stood in a wave of green, almost all at once—as well as Ludo Bagman. "Dimitrov deliberately flew into Moran to skin her … it has to be another penalty … yes! There's the whistle!"

This time when the leprechauns flew into the air, their gesture was not family friendly. They'd formed a fist and were flipping off the Veela. Of course, the Veela didn't take that lying down. They lost control, causing their forms to shift. Where they were once beautiful women, now their faces elongated into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and they had long scaly wings that burst from their backs. Everyone turned sharply to look at Bella, including me, with our mouths wide open. In all the literature I had read, not once had I seen this description. I wasn't sure what to make of it.

"And that is why you don't go for looks alone," Bella grumbled. "True Veela, ladies and gentlemen. That is what they turn into when they don't mate: selfish, ugly gold diggers."

The war between the Veela and the leprechauns continued, all while the match above the pitch battled for supremacy. Bella got up while I watched as the quaffle changed hands so fast that all we heard from Ludo was: "Levski—Dimitrov—Moran—Troy—Mullet—Ivanova—Moran again—Moran—MORAN SCORES!"

The noise level was insane. That was until the game recommenced with Levski in control of the quaffle until another voice echoed out over the stands. One that made the whole game come to a screeching halt.

"You, Renee Higginbotham, should be ashamed of yourself." I looked out on the balcony to see that my girl, my Bella, was standing there with the tip of her wand at her throat. She was stunning in all her magical glory. Bella looked back at me briefly, giving me a glimpse of her silver eyes lit from within. Her hair was flowing around her, lifted by the wind that her aura made when she was in this state. She glowed. There was no other word for it.

With the gasps that spread around the stadium, I was surprised there wasn't a large vacuum created. I was surprised Bella would make it so public, but I wasn't surprised that she wanted to say something. I stood, noticing that Bella tensed when she heard me but relaxed when all I did was place my hands on her shoulders, giving her my support.

I looked down over the balcony to see that every single person in the stands, in the sky, and most importantly on the pitch below were looking up at her. Renee was standing among the Veela—now back to their woman-like state—with her hand over her mouth.

"How dare you, Mother? I'm ashamed of what you have become. I'm so ashamed of you that I won't call you that anymore. You are no mother. I can't believe you would act like this after the wonderful life you had with Daddy and me." Bella flicked her wand toward the scoreboard where a picture of Charlie, Renee, and Bella was proudly displayed. Her magic was that strong that it broke through the enchantments the ministry was using on it. I smirked at the shocked and awed thoughts from the box next to us. There were more gasps when they realized who Bella's dad had been.

"You're despicable, and if I never see you again, it will be too soon. As a species, Veela, you disgust me. If it wasn't for the fact that being one gives me an immortal life to spend with my mate, I'd be ashamed to be one. All because of women like you. My advice to you is to stop behaving like hag-like sirens." As the magic drained out of Bella, the entire stadium burst into applause. I chuckled because the majority of the spectators were glad she had spoken her mind about Veela, but just about every single person, of the hundred thousand there—and the players—were clapping because she had single-handedly stopped the fighting between the mascots and was able to slow the game back down. I caught her as Bella almost collapsed under the weight of what she had just done, so I pulled her inside my embrace and helped her onto my lap as the game resumed.

For a while, it was a little more sedate. The Veela had pulled back to their side of the pitch, some comforting Renee, some furious at being called out like that. The leprechauns had even floated down to the sidelines and stopped causing trouble. The quaffle was being passed around from chaser to chaser but being intercepted before it went anywhere, only to be passed around from chaser to chaser on the opposite team. Even the bludgers had seemed to slow down a little. Eventually though, play picked up to the brutal pace it had been before. Fast and dangerous.

Some of the Veela had gotten over their temper tantrums and started to dance on the sidelines. It wasn't as provocative as it had been before, but it was still distracting to the men around them. Even the referee. So much so that when the Irish beater, Quigley, belted a bludger directly at Krum, landing a shot square to the nose, Mostafa had missed it and failed to call the foul. Krum was seriously hurt. He had blood pouring from his nose, so bad that he couldn't stem it.

"Look at Lynch!" Harry screamed, jumping up from his seat at the end of the row. "He's seen the snitch! He's seen it!"

Bella and I stood, along with the rest of the family. Lynch had indeed seen the snitch and was currently shooting straight down at the pitch, yet again. And despite the fact that Krum was still bleeding from his nose, he was right there on Lynch's tail.

Both ends of the stadium were on their feet, cheering their respective seekers on, as Krum drew level with Lynch.

"How can he see?" Luna screamed. "He's got blood everywhere!"

"They're going to crash!" Hermione yelled out anxiously.

"No, they won't," Harry argued. "At least, Krum won't!"

And he was right. For the second time that day, Lynch plowed into the ground with an almighty thump. He wasn't going to get back up from this one any time soon.

"Where's the snitch?" Neville and Jasper asked together.

"There it is!" Emmett cheered. "Krum caught the snitch!"

We looked up to see that Krum was flying around the top of the stadium with his hand raised in the air. The scoreboard changed to reflect the total.

IRELAND: ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY, BULGARIA: ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY

"KRUM CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" Ludo shouted, causing all of us to cringe at how loud it was. "BUT IRELAND WINS!"

~*~UHS~*~

Hours later, the partying was still going strong. We were all still talking about what had happened with the match. Even though the Bulgarians had lost, their supporters were celebrating just as much. The match had been a good one, so there was a lot to celebrate.

The Weasleys had just gone to their tent so they could start getting ready for bed while the humans in our party were inside our tent doing the same, including Bella. Her emotional outburst earlier had taken a lot out of her.

"Wow, that was an awesome match." Emmett sighed, plopping down next to me. "And the after party is still going strong."

"The magical community certainly knows how to celebrate." I nodded. "That's for sure." I looked around at everything going on. The amount of green had almost tripled in volume since the end of the match. It was just everywhere. I chuckled at the drunken witches and wizards who were attempting to conjure fireworks. They spent more time putting flames out on their robes than actually firing the fireworks into the sky.

"How long do you think they'll party for?" Jasper asked, joining us.

"Oh, until they can't party anymore." Sirius laughed.

Remus sat next to him. "Magical kind are notorious for celebrating until they can't stand up, and then they keep going until they can't keep their eyes open. Especially for something like this."

Carlisle and Shane were in the tent, supervising the younger ones as they got ready for bed. I could hear Bella's thoughts slurring a little bit, she was that tired, but she was adamant about coming out and saying goodnight to me. Carlisle offered to get me to come in, even though she knew she could call me. Bella just wanted to see everything one last time before she fell asleep. She walked out through the tent flap and was halfway over to me when she froze as the look on my face changed.

_Edward? _Bella tilted her head at me. _What is going on?_

_Edward?_ Another voice joined hers, causing me to wince at the panic laced in it. _I overheard something, something bad, before my dad disappeared. We need to get out of here before any of us gets hurt. I wish we could warn the others._

"Carlisle, get Harry's invisibility cloak out of his backpack, quick. Get Shane to round up the children. Jasper, go next door and get the Weasleys out now!" I ordered as I watched the conversation play out through Draco's head. Things were going to get bad, and it was going to happen very quickly.

Nobody paused to question my instructions; they just did as they were asked. Bella raced over to me, wide awake now. While Emmett, Remus, and Sirius all joined me on their feet. By the time Draco reached us, Carlisle had come outside with the invisibility cloak and threw it over Draco.

"What's going on?" Arthur asked when he made it out of the tent along with everyone else.

"There's going to be an attack, starting with the muggles who own the campsites. We have to help!" I answered. While mentally working out what to do with Bella and everyone else.

"Who?" all the adults asked.

Before I could answer, several explosions rent the night. Screams broke out left and right as fire and lightning plus a myriad of spells were fired at unsuspecting magical folk. In the distance, I could see a group of muggles being levitated in the air, their mouths wide open in a grotesque scream.

"Death eaters." I hissed. I spun to face my girl because I knew she would want to help, but this time, I needed her to do something else for me. "Bella, you can't come with me."

"I want to help." She glared at me.

"I know you do, but I need you to look after the others. You're the only immortal one, plus you need to make sure Draco doesn't get lost in the crush." Bella nodded, understanding because with Draco hidden, they wouldn't know where he was. She pulled her wand out and cast a spell that wrapped an invisible rope around both her and Draco, a simple way to keep track of him.

"Quickly, all of you, go into the forest and hide. Fred, George—Ron is your responsibility. Stick together!" Arthur ordered as he, Percy, Bill, and Charlie took off into the fray.

The girls all grabbed hands as Neville and Harry followed close behind and ran for the forest, pulling out their wands in case they were needed. Bella gave me one more look and a parting shot as she ran. _Be careful and come back to me._

Remus, Shane, and Sirius were already in their animagus forms, waiting for me to change because it was the sneakiest way to attack the death eaters. "Be careful, all of you. I'd hate to face the wrath of Rose, Esme, and Alice should something happen to you."

With that, and another large explosion, I was in my leopard form and running point with the others following behind me.

~*~UHS~*~

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**Hmm, what a place to leave it. It seems that the next chapter is going to be just as exciting. I cannot wait to hear what you think about everything that happened.**

**See you in a fortnight.**


	6. Chapter Five - The Aftermath

**Hello everyone! I hope you have all had a good fortnight, and I know that you've been waiting on pins and needles to find out what is going to happen! I won't keep you.**

**My thanks go to Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson, I couldn't do this without either of you. My love to you both.**

**I don't own Harry Potter or Twilight, as much as I would love to be the creator of them. That honor goes to JK Rowling and SM.**

**It's going to be an interesting ride.**

* * *

**Chapter Five ~ The Aftermath**

Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle all went toward the witches and wizards who were being fired upon and tried to help them escape; they weren't going to let anyone get hurt if they could help it. I couldn't tell where Arthur and his boys had gone; there were too many thoughts floating around.

What I could be thankful for was the fact that human "voices" were much quieter when I was in this form, which made listening and talking to Sirius, Remus, and Shane that much easier.

_Where are we going, Edward?_ Remus was the first to ask. He was on my left flank, Sirius on my right, with Shane bringing up the rear. Although his antlers could make for some rather nasty wounds should he hit with those.

_After the death eaters. They won't expect four animals to come barreling toward them,_ I told them.

_Do you think we can make a difference?_ Shane asked.

_We can, at least, get them to drop those muggles. That has to count for something._

Sirius growled. _Then let us get some bad guys._

We lowered our heads and poured on the speed. It was an unfortunate consequence that we scared some of the already fleeing magical community, but they were fast enough to jump out of our way and let us past. It didn't take us long to come across Voldemort's followers. The very ones who were terrorizing the muggles. Some were standing in a circle keeping the muggles afloat, some of them were facing the outside firing spells at the fleeing witches and wizards. The ones on the outside were also defending the ones on the inside from the ministry wizards, who were trying to arrest the death eaters.

I growled long and loud before I bolted past the line of ministry defenders and launched myself at a death eater who didn't see me until I'd made the leap into his line of sight. For the next few minutes, everything was a blur of spells being fired, snapping teeth, growls, and launching myself at the bad guys that I didn't catch much of anything else. Death eaters ran—firing spells—in every direction, letting their prisoners fall. The ministry officials were able to catch them before they were hurt by hitting the ground.

With help from the four of us, the ministry officials were able to catch several of the death eaters who had been part of the pack, but many, many more of them were able to get away. That was a disappointment. We found Arthur and the others among the ministry wizards, but they were busy helping to put out fires and other spells cast by the death eaters.

Once they started doing that, Shane, Sirius, Remus, and I went out to search for the death eaters who ran. We chased those assholes all over the campsite, often trying to stop them from terrorizing their community some more. It wasn't until a bright green spell was fired into the air from the direction of the forest where all of our family were hiding that the death eaters disapparated into thin air. Almost like they were afraid of the … I looked up to see a large skull made of green smoke with its mouth wide open and a large snake curling its way out of it.

_What on earth is that?_ I asked, not necessarily expecting an answer.

Shane had been nearby when the death eaters had disappeared and walked up beside me. _That's the Dark Mark, Edward. Voldemort used it to call his followers or to advertise a site of his work. It's his mark. Where did it come from?_

_I saw the spell being fired from the forest area._

_Harry …_ Shane breathed before he took off running in that area. I followed behind him with Shane and Sirius falling into line.

_Edward!_ I heard Bella call out to me. _You need to stay away for a bit. Keep the others there; we're safe, but you need to see this._

_Shane, STOP!_ I shouted getting his attention.

He spun around, frowning at me. He was furious that we weren't barging right in there. _What?_

_Bella just called to me. They're fine, but she has something for me to watch._

_Fine, okay. We'll wait here._ Shane stood exactly where he was facing the forest, just waiting for the word from me to get in there. The moonlight silhouetted the giant stag against the forest. It made the wizards who were near steer clear of us.

I looked back through Bella. It seemed she had given me time to get the others to stop, but almost like she had sensed I was done, she started talking, showing me what she had seen.

_We were hiding out in this cropping,_ she thought, looking around. _I was watching the surroundings, like you taught me, and saw a spell fired from over there._ This time she looked at a group of bushes clear across a clearing, in which stood Ron, Fred, and George. _I couldn't see who did it though. _

Just as she was about to continue, there were several popping sounds. Fred and George pushed Ron to the ground, yelling duck, just as several calls of "Stupefy" and red streaks of light collided just above their heads.

"Stop it," I heard before Arthur ran into Bella's line of sight. "STOP, those are my sons."

Fred, George, and Ron slowly got to their feet as the ministry wizards slowly closed ranks around them, all pointing their wands in the direction of the three young wizards.

"Out of the way, Arthur. Which one of you conjured the Dark Mark?" a cold voice asked. Bella looked in the direction of the voice only to find one Barty Crouch.

"We didn't do it!" all three Weasley boys argued back immediately. "What did you attack us for?" Fred asked in return.

Barty's face contorted in anger, making him truly look nasty. "Do. Not. Lie. To. Me!" His wand was pointing directly at Ron. "You were discovered at the scene of the crime."

"We were not. We don't even know what that is!" George argued again.

Fred looked up, trying to figure out what was so special. "What crime?"

A short witch, dressed in a woolen dressing gown, turned to Crouch. "Barty, they're just children. They couldn't have conjured it …"

"Where did the Mark come from?" Arthur looked down at his boys and asked the question quite quickly.

"Over there." All three boys pointed in the direction Bella had indicated earlier. "Someone was standing over there and shouted something to the sky," Ron finished quietly.

"Hmm," Crouch hummed. With his mind still closed, I couldn't hear what he was thinking, even if it was harder in this form. But the others with Crouch were thinking that there was no way Fred, George, and Ron had conjured the Mark.

By the time the ministry wizards had discussed the fact that the person may have disapparated, Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle had caught up with us. Now that things were settling down, we wandered back to our tent with me still keeping an eye on things. Sirius had transformed back and advised them about what had been happening.

One of the wizards with Crouch decided it might be best to investigate the area where Bella had seen the wizard, to see if they'd caught him in the crossfire.

_They won't find him, _Bella thought. _As soon as he'd cast the spell, he would have run away. I don't think they'll find anything._

"Aha, we did get him! By Merlin … It's a … Blimey," the wizard spoke to himself.

"You found someone?" Crouch asked, disbelievingly. "Who is it?"

For a few tense moments, the other wizard, whom I'd learned was Janus Burbage, stared down at the figure on the ground. Eventually, he bobbed down, made a few adjustments, before he picked up the prone figure, and walked back through the underbrush.

Bella froze. _There is no way a house elf could have done this._

I recognized the house elf in question. It was none other than Crouch's own Winky. Apparently, I wasn't the only one surprised because all of the ministry wizards in attendance were shocked into silence.

"No …" Crouch breathed. "It can't be … it isn't possible." He walked around Mr. Burbage and strode through the brush to where Winky had been found.

"There's nothing, and nobody else over there, Mr. Crouch," Burbage murmured. He watched Crouch for a few minutes as he searched all around for something, someone, anything. "Bit embarrassing really. Barty Crouch's house elf … I mean."

"The Dark Mark is a wizard's sign. It can't be cast without a wand," Arthur said. "You can't really believe that she cast it."

Janus held up a wand, one that I had seen before. "She had a wand. That's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken. '_No non-human creature is permitted to carry a wand'._"

Ludo Bagman apparated in as they were discussing the implications of what had happened. Jasper stood in front of me. "Edward, do you think you could transform back and fill us in on what's going on? You can still keep track."

I gave Jasper a head-butt before I transformed and filled them all in while Ludo questioned Crouch about where he'd been and what had happened to poor Winky.

"If it's all right with you, Mr. Crouch," Burbage began, "I think we should see what the elf has to say for herself."

Bella shook her head. _This isn't going to go well. I can feel her fear from here, and she's been stunned._

I cycled through the channels like Cortesia had shown me several years ago. But I was unable to find Winky's thoughts in the usual place. I decide that I was going to have to wait and see until after she was revived.

I tuned back in through Bella when Burbage pointed his wand at Winky and said, "Renervate."

Winky came around slowly. And the only reason I knew this was because I was now looking through George. I wanted to get a better look at how Winky replied. She opened her eyes first, blinking owlishly up at all the wizards who were staring down at her, before she pulled herself up into a sitting position. Winky wrapped her arms around her legs before she looked from the scuffed shoes of Janus Burbage, up his legs, all the way to the sky. I could see that once it registered with her that the Dark Mark had lit up the night sky, she burst into great big heaving sobs.

For a while, they let her sit there, dragging out her discomfort, before Burbage glared down at her. "Elf," he growled. "Do you know who I am? I am a wizard from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

Because of his loud voice and overbearing demeanor, Winky started to rock backward and forward while her sobs grew in intensity yet again. Bella, and the other girls, were absolutely horrified at what was happening in front of them. As was I. No creature, human or animal, deserved to be treated like that.

"I know that you have seen the Dark Mark. You have been found beneath it. We want an explanation, if you please." It seemed they were leaving the interrogation up to the one man.

As far as I was concerned, they were all cowards. Hadn't they heard the saying "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar"? I bet they would get more answers if they were nicer about asking. This is where the slave mentality came through. They didn't think of house elves as anything more than _servants_, and they didn't deserve respect. Well, I could think of a few girls who would be changing that outlook, if they had anything to do with it.

"I—I is not doing it, sir. I is not knowing how, sir!" Winky gasped out between sobs, her rocking intensifying.

Burbage held up the wand they had been arguing about before, but before he could argue with her once more, Ron interrupted. "Hey! That's my wand!"

Every single ministry official, including Arthur, turned to face Ron, causing his face to flame almost as red as his hair.

"Your wand?" Burbage asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, mine. I lost it somewhere tonight after running into the woods."

"You mean you threw it away after conjuring the Dark Mark? Is that a confession?"

Arthur spun facing Burbage. "Are you seriously accusing my son, Janus?"

"Oh … uh … no. I got a bit carried away," Burbage stammered. His eyes turned hard again when he spun back to Winky. "So, elf, you picked up the wand and thought you'd have some fun with it, eh?"

Winky's head shook back and forth so hard I thought she was going to hurt herself. "I is not doing magic with it, sir. I is not knowing how to make the Dark Mark. I is just picking up the wand, sir."

That was apparently all Fred could stand because he stepped in front of Winky and looked directly at Burbage. "She didn't do it. Her voice is higher pitched and squeaky, whereas the person who made that had a deeper, more masculine voice. And he was decidedly human sounding."

"Exactly," George agreed. "There is no way she conjured that. We all heard it, and _he_ sounded nothing like that."

"Let's just see, shall we?" Burbage held up Ron's wand in one hand and his in the other. "Prior Incantato."

_Oh, Merlin, no, _Bella gasped, horrified at what she was seeing. A horrible mirror image of the spell high in the sky slipped out of the end of Ron's wand. This one was gray instead of green. It was a ghost of a spell. _She still didn't cast it. Fred and George are right about that._

"Deletrius," Burbage stated. It was so clear in the quiet of the clearing that it was almost like Burbage had shouted the word. He looked down at Winky with a look of almost savage glee. "So?"

Winky's rocking picked up, as did her shuddering. The poor elf was terrified. "I is not doing it, sir. I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how! I is not using wands. I is a good elf."

The smirk on Burbage's face was just this shy of evil, truly maniacal. "You have been caught red-handed, elf, with the guilty wand in your possession."

"Where would she have learned the spell, Janus?" Arthur asked. "There are very few wizards in the world who even know that spell."

Crouch had come back to the circle, finally finished his searching. His voice was cold when he spoke next. "Perhaps Mr. Burbage is suggesting that I teach my servants how to conjure the Dark Mark. I would hope that my long career as a member of the Wizengamot, and the many proofs I have provided, have shown I am against the Dark Mark and all that it stands for. Who else do you want to falsely accuse tonight, _Janus_?"

"I—I never suggested that you did it, Mr. Crouch!" Burbage muttered, thoroughly embarrassed about being called out in front of all the other ministry officials.

"If you accuse my elf, you accuse me!" Crouch shouted. "Where else could she have _possibly_ learned it, if not from me?"

It seemed Burbage had gained some courage because he almost shouted back at Crouch. "She could have picked it up anywhere …"

"Precisely. _She could have picked it up anywhere!_" Crouch repeated menacingly before his voice lowered to an almost calming tone. "Winky?" The elf in question flinched though, as if he'd shouted her name. "Where did you get Ronald Weasley's wand?"

Winky was twisting the tea towel, covering her small body for all she was worth. After a few seconds, she lifted her hand and pointed to the direction where Burbage had carried her from. "I—I is finding it there, sir. In the … in the trees, sir."

"Did you see who cast the spell then?" Burbage asked with malice in his voice. "Because if you found the wand there then you were feet from the culprit. Did. You. See. Anyone?"

I flicked back to look through George. I wanted to see poor Winky's reaction, and what I saw their confirmed what I had thought. Winky was covering for someone. Once again, I raced through the different wavelengths before locating Winky's thoughts, well off the usual wavelength.

_Master is being bad. Master is telling lies. Bad, bad, bad master._

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. If only I could hear Crouch's thoughts. I might be able to put this puzzle together if I knew what he was thinking.

Winky's eyes flickered from Ludo Bagman, to Janus Burbage, then to her master, Barty Crouch, over and over again before she shook her head. "I is seeing no one, sir … no one …"

Bella's thoughts now almost screamed at me, _of course not; he wasn't visible, was he! _

Burbage's thoughts, however, flickered with unrestrained glee. He knew it was his job to take elves such as this one into custody for questioning and punishment. Something it seemed he enjoyed very much. I cringed, wondering how many other creatures were inflicted with his brand of interrogation. But before he could even utter the spell to place Winky under arrest, Crouch spoke up again, leaving no doubt to his … disgust at the Mark high above their heads.

"I know you usually take these creatures in for their punishments, Janus, however, I would like you to leave her to me. I can assure you she will be punished."

"M—master?" _I does not like this, not one bit. Bad, bad master._ "M—master, p—please?"

Winky stared up at Crouch with her big brown eyes rimmed with tears, making them stand out that much more on her too small face. Crouch stared back impassively, if not coldly. His features were sharp, angled, and much more defined, as if he were being lit from below.

"Winky, you have behaved in a manner I did not think possible. A manner that is unbefitting for a man of my place in the Ministry. You have disobeyed me and my rules while I went to sort out what was happening. _You were told to stay in the tent._ I have no need for a house elf who disobeys me, a servant who forgets what is due her master, and to her master's reputation. You will be given clothes."

"No!" Winky wailed, throwing herself at Crouch's feet. Crouch took a step backward, ignoring his former _slave._ "No, m—master, not clothes!"

_I'm bringing her back with me, Edward. She'll have no one after being disparaged like this. Crouch is a cruel, cruel man,_ Bella thought to me. She tilted her head as she watched Crouch turn and walk away. He stopped after he'd taken several steps and meticulously removed his left glove finger by finger. When it was free, he flung it to Winky, stating that it was hers and disapparated.

Burbage handed Ron's wand back to him before most of the ministry officials also disapparated from the clearing. "Keep a better hold of that wand, son."

"Yes, sir," Ron almost whispered while staring down at Winky, who was pitifully curled up into a ball on the ground.

"Come on, boys. Let's head back to the tent." Arthur pulled on Fred's arm, who then grabbed George. Lastly, George reached out for Ron, tugging on his shirt to get him to move.

Once everyone was gone, Bella, Luna, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco—still covered in the invisibility cloak—walked out from their cropping toward Winky. When they reached her, the girls all crouched down, trying to comfort her. She was inconsolable. Bella had watched as Hermione, Ginny, and Luna couldn't get Winky to calm down so she bobbed down near her head and placed her hand there. After a few seconds, a soft glow emanated from her hand, and Winky calmed down, falling into a deep sleep.

"She'll be okay for a little while," Bella whispered. She stopped when there was a crack off in the not too far distance. "Do you think you girls can get Winky back to the tent?"

"We can. But what about you and Draco?" Hermione asked nervously as she helped pick up Winky.

"We'll be right behind you," Bella said as another crack rent the air. She pointed in the same direction that Arthur and the boys went. "Go back that way. I'll have Emmett and Jasper meet you on the way. Edward will be coming to us."

Hermione, Luna, and Ginny nodded. They kept their wands at the ready and quickly walked away. Once they were gone, Draco threw Harry's invisibility cloak over the both of them.

I pulled back from Bella and looked around at everyone who had been listening to my monologue. "Emmett, Jasper, three of the girls are coming back through the woods behind Arthur and the boys. Can you meet up with them please?"

Emmett and Jasper nodded and took off straight away. I stood, getting ready to become my leopard again when Carlisle grabbed my arm. "Where are you going, Edward?"

"Bella has asked me to come out and meet her and Draco. There's something else going on."

Carlisle nodded. "Be careful."

I nodded in return, transformed, and took off into the forest. I tuned back in to Bella's thoughts as I passed both Emmett and Jasper, and Arthur and the boys.

_Edward, I hope you're paying attention. Look._

Even though Draco and Bella were under the cloak, they walked over and hid in some bushes. They were watching none other than Barty Crouch, making his way back into the clearing. He walked into the center and inspected every inch of it before he walked over to the part where Winky had been found. He stood there for an undetermined amount of time before he pulled out his wand. He pointed to a patch of leaves on the ground then said, "Levicorpus."

Something lifted off the ground, something invisible. Once he had what he came for, Crouch looked around then walked off, guiding his invisible quarry ahead of him.

I pulled back from Bella's mind as I raced through the forest to their location. What—or who—was that Crouch had come back for? It had to be someone important. When I reached the clearing, both Bella and Draco had taken off the invisibility cloak, and Bella had removed the rope she had bound them with. In the space of a few steps, I changed back to my vampire form.

"Are you two okay?" I pulled Bella into my arms, holding her as tight as I dared.

"We're fine," Draco answered. "Nobody knew we were here the whole time. What do you think Crouch came back for?"

"Give me a minute, then we'll head back."

Bella and Draco nodded. I walked over to where Crouch had been. "The great thing about invisibility cloaks is they only hide the physical thing underneath it. Everything has a smell, especially people."

I couldn't see either of their faces as I crouched down on the ground and used my enhanced senses to find out where Winky had been lying, then I found an indentation not far from her place where something else had been lying.

Bella was the first one to put it together. "You think that the thing Crouch just collected was a person, don't you?"

"I do. And the proof of it is right here. It would be here even if I couldn't smell him."

Bella and Draco moved forward and looked around, trying to figure out what I was looking at.

"See this indentation?" I asked. "There's another one here. Larger than the first. This is where Winky and whoever she was with ended up after being stunned. Did either of you hear any thumps just after the ministry wizards cast their spells?"

Draco shook his head, but it was Bella who answered me out loud. "I didn't hear anything, Edward. There was just so much going on that I'm not sure I would have understood what it was, even if I had."

"All right. Then let's head back. There are some questions that need answering. Plus, we have a house elf who needs to be helped." I held out my hand to Bella. Once she grabbed my hand, I turned to Draco. "You should be able to come back with us without that on." I nodded to the cloak. "It was chaos when we left; everyone was packing to get home."

"I'll walk with you for now, but I'll wear it into the tent. Mum knows where I went, but she'll cover for me until I can get home. She'll tell Dad I was lost in the mess."

"Okay, Draco. When we get home, I'll have Kreacher take you home."

"Thank you, Edward."

I nodded and led the way back through the forest.

~*~UHS~*~

I could hear everyone's thoughts in our tent by the time we reached the edge of the forest. Bella and I paused as Draco pulled Harry's cloak on, then we made the short trip into our tent.

If I thought the thoughts were loud, they had nothing on the raised voices that were coming from everyone. They didn't even notice we had walked through the flap. They weren't arguing, per se, just all trying to get their opinions across on what had happened—all at the same time.

Once Draco had removed the invisibility cloak, I let out a wolf whistle loud enough that it caught everyone's attention and made them fall silent. "Thank you." I sighed. "Now, I understand this has been a very trying night for many, many reasons, but I have questions about what happened out there."

I saw Arthur wince as Bella, Draco, and I sat around the table. And if I'd bothered to tune into his thoughts, I probably would have learned what I needed to know, but I wanted everyone to hear it. I waited until Arthur had composed himself and reluctantly took a seat at the table.

"What was that out in the forest? And why was Crouch so cold to his elf?"

Arthur sighed. "I take it you know what that is up in the sky?" I nodded but several people in our group shook their heads. "That symbol is the calling card of he-who-must-not-be-named. It was displayed at all of the locations he attacked or every time he killed someone, but it was also a way for him to call his supporters."

"That's funny, considering all the death eaters here tonight fled the moment it was in the air." Sirius snorted.

"Right." Arthur nodded. "Oh, by the way, Winky is over there."

Bella stood and walked over to the elf in question, running her hand over her head. Winky was awake but completely out of it. "Kreacher, can you come here please?"

In a flash, Kreacher was standing there beside her. "What can Kreacher do for you, Miss Bella?"

"Winky is going to need some help and a distraction. Can you please take her to Professor Dumbledore? I'll write a quick letter explaining."

"Yes, Miss Bella." Kreacher bowed.

While Bella did that, I turned back to Arthur. "Okay, that I get. The Dark Mark flares up in the sky, the ministry investigates, stunning everyone within range when they land, hoping to catch the culprit. But why on Earth was Winky interrogated and then simply dismissed as if she didn't even matter?"

"I don't know much about Crouch, but what I do know is that he abhors the Dark Mark, stemming from the fact that his son is a convicted death eater." That comment brought several gasps. Including my own sharp intake of breath. "That would be the reason he was so cold tonight with his elf, especially considering she was accused, and by extension him, for conjuring it."

"That doesn't explain Mr. Burbage's reaction to poor Winky though," Bella stated, sitting next to me after she'd given Kreacher the letter and sent him and Winky on their way.

At this, I could see Arthur squirm. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he leaned back against his chair. "Janus Burbage doesn't see them as …"

I saw it dawn on Bella's face the minute Arthur stopped talking. "He thinks that just because they aren't human, that means they aren't afforded the same common curtesy as those who are. He treats them that way because he sees slaves, not servants. He sees animals, not sentient beings." Bella huffed, crossing her arms. "I'd be surprised if he saw me or my family as humans. More fool him."

Hermione has been listening quietly but decided she needed to speak up. "Is that how most witches and wizards see house elves? I mean, I don't see it after getting to know Kreacher and Dobby. They're just like everyone else I know with feelings and thoughts."

"I don't disagree with you—any of you," Arthur said. "It's just how the community at large sees them. The fact that they don't ask for any money means they have placed themselves in a position to be used and abused."

_That can't be right,_ both Bella and Hermione thought. _There's more to this than what he's saying. I'm going to find out what,_ Hermione continued.

Carlisle stood and shook his head when someone else opened their mouth to ask a follow-up question. "That's enough for tonight. It's been a long day and night, and I want all of you to get some sleep. We go home tomorrow morning, and I think it might be an even longer day tomorrow. The aftermath of this is going to be far reaching."

As if on cue, just about all the young ones—and Newt—yawned, long and loud, causing us all to chuckle.

I stood, then spun around and picked Bella up. She squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck. "What are you doing, Edward?" She laughed.

"Time for bed. I'm looking forward to going home tomorrow. Today was even too much drama for me."

Hermione and Luna followed me while Draco went with Harry and Neville.

_I think it's only going to get worse,_ Bella thought as I stood her on her feet. I reached into my bag to give her one of my shirts for her to sleep in since her pajamas were dirty from running through the forest. _I could clean my PJs._

"I know, but humor me, please. And I don't doubt you're right. I have a feeling things are about to kick up a notch. For now, though, bed."

Bella saluted me before I walked out of their room and lowered the curtain, giving the girls time to change. I couldn't wait to get home.

~*~UHS~*~

I'm not even sure our feet had touched the ground when we returned the next morning before Esme, Rose, and Alice were streaking out the front door. Rose and Alice ran straight for Jasper and Emmett, as did Esme with Carlisle, but she was just as quick to turn around and hug the rest of us.

"I'm so glad you're all okay. Rose and Alice found a radio when we went to Diagon Alley, so we were able to listen to the match," Esme said as she walked between Neville, Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Bella. "Then Alice got a vision, and what she saw was terrifying. But if that wasn't all, the Daily Prophet came this morning." The Lovegoods and the Potters were turning to leave, but with a word, Esme got them to stop. "Wait. You all need to see it. Better here than later at home."

"Sure, Mrs. Cullen," Xenophilius agree. "I would like to talk to Remus and James anyway."

"It's Esme, please. All of you, this way." Esme led the way into the house.

"Then in that case, you must call me Phil. Xenophilius is a mouthful, even for me." We laughed at Phil's candor, it gave us a brief bit of levity as we made our way into the house.

_This isn't going to be good. We're going to need to have Sirius counteract whatever is said in the prophet,_ Bella thought, taking a seat on the loveseat. I leaned over to kiss her forehead and nodded. I had no doubt it was time to start preparing the next edition of The Truth.

Esme handed out several copies of the Prophet. "When I read the story, I knew you would all want to see it, so I ordered more of them. They were delivered not long ago."

I looked down and saw an article by Rita Skeeter. She had been making waves lately as an on-the-spot reporter, always getting the scoops. I found her to be much like a rag reporter, full of shit, but some of her articles had been pretty spot on. I wanted to know where she was getting her information. But of this, I was positive—this article was going to be bad.

_The Quidditch World Cup between the Romanian National Quidditch Team and the Ireland National Quidditch Team was held last night. It had been organized by the British Ministry of Magic and the Departments for Magical Co-operation and Magical Games and Sports. While the match was deemed a success, there were several problems afterward._

_Thanks to several Ministry blunders, a group of Dark Wizards were able to run around unchecked, causing chaos, mayhem, and able to flout the statute of secrecy. Due to the lax security, only a scant few of the culprits were apprehended, and that was thanks to a couple of brave members of our magical community getting involved when there was not a Ministry official in sight._

_Hundreds, if not thousands, of witches and wizards fled the scene of a dramatic incident between the Dark Wizards and the muggle owners of the campground into the nearby woods until things seemed to settle down. Once all was quiet, they were able to come out of the forest to nothing but destruction. In fact, for quite some time, all they did was stand there. Many of them with mouths gaping once they saw the Dark Mark hovering above their heads._

_If the terrified witches and wizards who waited breathlessly at the edge of the wood expected reassurance from the Ministry of Magic, they were sadly disappointed. A Ministry official emerged sometime after the Dark Mark, alleging that nobody was hurt but refusing to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen._

I couldn't believe that this … woman, and I used that term lightly, could write such a scathing article. Logically, I knew the world needed to know what happened, but did she have to write it in such a manner that it made everyone look bad.

"Damn." Shane sighed. He looked up at Esme, then Rose. "Do either of you mind keeping Harry for the night? I think we need to head into the office."

"Of course," Rose and Esme said together before laughing slightly. "You know Harry is welcome here anytime," Rose finished.

"We have all his things from Diagon Alley anyway. Maybe he should stay here until school starts. I have a feeling you lot will be busy over the coming days," Esme suggested.

Carlisle nodded. "And you are welcome to come and go as you please. Our homes are your homes."

"Edward." Draco pulled on my sleeve from next to me. "I need to get home. Mum will be worried."

That seemed to be the cue everyone needed. Shane, Remus, and Sirius got ready to head out to the Consortium after sending an owl to Dobby to bring some things over for Harry, including his Hogwarts gear and trunk. Phil had a quick word with Remus and Shane about permanently hiring a printing press and organizing a time to come into the office to chat about it before he took Luna and Newt home. Kreacher wandered in when Bella called him and took Draco home, leaving just the family—including Neville and Harry—in the family room.

We were quiet for a moment, just absorbing everything that had happened. In twenty-four hours, we'd travelled by port key to a secret location, seen the Quidditch World Cup, and fought off death eaters. It had certainly been busy.

After a few short moments, Alice reached over and grabbed the hands of Bella and Hermione. "Okay, girls, I may only have two of you, but I want to do one last fitting on your dresses before I finish them off. Let's just have a quiet day today. Rose, you wanna come?"

"Sure." The four of them left the room and walked up the stairs with Bella and Hermione asking all sorts of questions about how to fix their hair and if they should wear any makeup.

"I'm going to head to the hospital to see if there's anything I can do to help. I'm sure there were injuries." Carlisle kissed Esme, grabbed his doctor's bag, and headed to the fireplace.

"I wish there were more we could do," Emmett lamented as he sat back down on the couch. "We just gotta sit back and wait, and I hate that."

Harry and Neville wandered out the back door to make their way to Emmett and Rose's house.

"I think the best thing we can do is protect the two who just made their way out the door. If Voldemort is coming back, what's the first thing he's gonna do?" I asked.

"Go after the one who orchestrated his downfall," Emmett and Jasper said at the same time before bolting out the back door.

Esme smiled over at me. "What do you plan on doing, Edward?"

I sighed, letting my head flop back onto the back of the couch. "I think I'm gonna go upstairs, start on Bella's birthday present, and maybe do some reading or play the piano. Anything just to bring me down from the excitement of the last day. And rest up for anything that might come our way in the future."

"It's not going to stop, is it?"

"Not until Voldemort is stopped for good. Until then, Harry, Neville, and everyone else in this big wide world is in trouble."

"Even the muggles?" Esme gasped.

"Especially the muggles. From what I've read about Voldemort, he's the type of psychopath who wants to rule the world. He'll want to put those he thinks are beneath him, exactly there—where he thinks they belong."

"Well," Esme sighed. "I guess we better rest up while we can. What I wouldn't give for a nap."

I chuckled, looking up at her. "I could get behind that. Why don't you just go lie down, turn on the bubble lamp, and lie in the quiet? It'll almost be like a nap."

"That's actually … not a bad idea. I think I'll do that. Go relax, Edward. We all need it."

I stood after Esme. "I will. If you want to hear me play, leave the lamp off."

"Nah, I think I'll enjoy the quiet. I'm even going to set the alarm for when I need to come help Kreacher with lunch." Esme smiled a cheeky smile and left for Carlisle's and her suite.

I made my way up the stairs, hoping it would be much quieter than the day before.

~*~UHS~*~

The next few days were busy for most of our friends. Harry did end up staying with Rose, Emmett, and Neville. Shane, Remus, and Sirius were busy trying to get ahead of Rita Skeeter and keep her lies under control, which meant a new flyer of The Truth just about every day. I had no idea where she was getting her information from, but she was unloading a lot of half-truths on the general public.

Carlisle had really taken to making the potions Bella had given him over Christmas last year, and as such, the potion makers at St. Mungo's had recruited Carlisle to work in their section of the hospital, something he was enjoying very much. For as much as the Ministry of Magic denied anything was happening, that people weren't going to get hurt, St. Mungo's was preparing for what was coming. Carlisle had told me they weren't going to be unprepared like they were last time. So at even the smallest hint that the Dark Mark had appeared, they were going to start prepping potions.

"It's something I've found I enjoy very much," Carlisle had confided in me. "I find I like it more than actually dealing with the patients, and that was something I never thought I would say."

"Well, maybe you can look into something other than working at the hospital. A good Potions Master who sells complete potions would never go astray."

Carlisle opened his mouth to argue but closed it just as fast. Not going to work at the hospital was something he had never considered. But I could see the idea take root. It would be something he would have to think over carefully, and I could see that even if he decided to do it, it would be after whatever was coming for all of us.

I was walking upstairs to start packing my belongings into my trunk for Hogwarts when Bella called out. "Edward! You cannot come up here yet!"

I froze. I was only about five steps away from our door. "Why?"

"Because I'm packing my dress, and I don't want you to see it!" Bella paused. "Well, Alice doesn't want you to see it. She thinks it should be a surprise." I could see Bella frowning as if she were standing here in front of me. "She said it would make the suspense that much better. Are we getting married?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Not yet, sweet girl. I understand what she's trying to do. She wants you to surprise me since you're really the only one who can. I can wait out here until you have it in your trunk."

"Thank you!" Bella exclaimed excitedly as she rushed around our room placing not only the dress but a few other things in her trunk. I knew Hermione's dress was blue satin with lots of layers of tulle and lace to make up the skirt and sleeves. But somehow, Alice, Rose, and Bella had been able to hide what Bella's looked like. All I knew was that it was silver and had pink embellishments. I couldn't say I wasn't curious. "Okay! You can come in now."

I walked through the door to see Bella placing this year's books on top of all of her clothes. "I'm surprised you didn't pack my trunk to keep me from seeing anything."

"Don't think I didn't think about it!" She laughed. "But, no, I figured you could pack your own. You've been doing something with your trunk that you don't want me to know about. I didn't want to interfere with that."

"While I thank you for that because it has to do with your birthday, I know you wouldn't have snooped anyway. You know where I pack my things."

Bella shrugged. "I was just making sure. We're allowed some secrets, you know."

I walked over and kissed her forehead as she looked up at me. "I know that." I leaned over to peek in her trunk, only to see the aforementioned dress was wrapped in tissue paper, which caused Bella to laugh.

"Go away! I knew you would peek!"

"Can't blame a man for trying!"

"Go pack. We head back to Hogwarts in two days. Mum is gonna kick your butt if you aren't ready to go." Bella laughed as she tried to push me away.

"Too right, I will!" Esme's voice floated up from downstairs.

Again, I chuckled but made my way over to my trunk. Most of my things were already packed. I just had a few items of clothing, some books, and of course, my potions things from the potion room in the library. After I packed the things from my room, I carried the trunk down the stairs and through the library. It was easier to pack everything from there if my trunk was in the potions room. Plus it gave me the peace and quiet to finish stocking Bella's laboratory because they were in the same section of my trunk. I couldn't wait to give it to her for her birthday.

The following morning we were just enjoying the last bit of quiet time before we boarded the Hogwarts Express. Bella and Hermione were reading something fictional; Neville and Harry were playing a few games of Wizards' Chess while Emmett, Jasper, and Esme were packing their things for another year at Hogwarts. Due to the fact that they didn't stay there, they didn't have as much to take with them.

I was reading yesterday's Daily Prophet because, for some reason, I had missed it. I always read The Truth but somehow had missed the Prophet. But that might be because something Esme said the other day had stuck in my mind, and since then, an idea had been simmering. She had mentioned that she would love to be able to have a nap, and with all the potions Remus had made for us years before, I wondered whether it was possible for us to be able to sleep. It would take some research, and talking with Remus about how he'd gotten around our venom, but it was something I was determined to give back to Esme because she'd been nothing but supportive of me over the years.

I was interrupted from my thoughts when Athan flew in through the owl door with that day's Daily Prophet. _Things are in an uproar again, Edward. When doesn't London seem upset these days?_

"Good question, Athan. Do you know why they were upset today?" I reached over and took the paper from his leg.

_Something in the paper, as usual._

I sighed. "Thank you, Athan."

_Welcome._ Athan flew back out the door.

I looked down at the paper in my hands and groaned. No wonder London was in an uproar. Rita Skeeter had done it again. Granted, it was only a matter of time before someone outside of the Ministry found out, but did it have to be her. I'd discussed this topic with Remus, Shane, and Sirius, and we'd decided not to report on it because we'd all been there—in person—when Ludo Bagman had been talking about it. It would have been too obvious. I shook my head. From now on, we wouldn't be holding back. Otherwise, hack reporters like Rita would report speculation rather than facts.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Bella asked, looking up at me from her book.

"Listen to this: _My sources inside the Ministry have been hard at work since the Dark Mark appeared in the night sky over the Quidditch World Cup, and since then, I have reported a myriad of things that the Ministry has not wanted you to know. _

_But this one might be the most damning one yet._

_World traveler, Bertha Jorkins, has been missing for several months but has never actually been reported as missing. _

_Bertha worked for the Department for Magical Games and Sports under former Wimbourne Wasps beater, Ludovic Bagman. According to sources, Ludo had several opportunities to report Bertha as missing. Instead of doing that, however, he waved it off as nothing but a confused witch having lost her way. As far as he was concerned, she'd show up eventually._

_But this reporter wants to know exactly how is she going to turn up? Dead or alive?_"

"Not pulling any punches, is she?" Emmett asked as he walked in through the back door.

"No. And it's not the way a family member should find out either. I wonder if she actually looked for any of them." I searched through the Prophet and found The Truth. It seemed that Sirius had found out when Rita was going to print her article because they'd done one on Bertha Jorkins as well. "Here, look."

I handed it off to Bella, who was grief stricken over how Bertha's family may have found out.

"Oh, Sirius did this right. He actually spoke to her sister about Bertha. Although, they didn't seem to have very nice things to say about her. It seemed she was a gossip hound when she was in school, and that didn't change much as she got older," Bella read.

Neville snorted. "She sounds like someone my grandmother would have gotten on really well with. Rita may have done it cruelly, but she's right. This is a blow to the Ministry, and to Ludo specifically. Bertha should have been reported missing when she didn't come back when she was supposed to."

"I asked Dad and Sirius about her last time they were here," Harry said. "Dad didn't have much to say, but Sirius said she was an idiot. She was nosy but had no brains. He didn't think it was a good combination and that she was probably easily led into a trap."

"In other words, Sirius thinks she's been taken," Hermione surmised.

Harry nodded. "That was my guess too. Guess we'll have to wait and see if she turns up."

~*~UHS~*~

The next morning we were all up, ready, and at Kings Cross Station much earlier than we needed to be. With everything that had happened, Harry and Neville thought it might be best. They didn't want to be hounded over everything, especially the Dark Mark and what they might feel about it. It was something Shane and Sirius had had to deal with at Diagon Alley, every day.

People were nosy parkers, and the press were even worse.

On the plus side, we were able to get our extendable cabin before anyone else tried to take it. Because it was only the five of us to start with, we spread out all over the cabin. Some of us were lying down, others were sitting up, and all of us were doing something quiet. Every so often, I would spread out my mind reading just to check up on what was happening. For a long time, it was just the five of us, and the workers getting everything ready for our trip.

It seemed the Weasleys had had the same idea because they showed up before the other students had started to arrive. Fred and George wanted to talk to us, Ginny just wanted to catch up with the girls, but it was Ron my mind seemed to get stuck on. His whole demeanor had changed. He was quiet and withdrawn and had apparently been that way since the World Cup. From what I could tell, being caught unawares like he was, having his wand stolen and used to conjure the Dark Mark, had left an impression on him. It had made him think about the kind of person he had become. He wasn't sure he liked who he was, and he damn well didn't like what his attitude had done to his family. It seemed that Ronald Weasley had finally started to grow up.

Maybe he'd finally knuckle down and grow into his full potential.

"Hello, friends!" Fred almost yelled as he walked into our cabin. "What a few days it's been, huh?"

"You're not wrong." Bella sighed. "The whole community is upset at everything that has happened."

"On top of that, we've been doing research into house elves. The rules or laws are very well hidden," Hermione growled. "It's going to take more than I thought to look into this."

Bella looked up at me. _Are you helping her?_ I nodded. _Good. She shouldn't take on the world alone. Let me know if you need more help._

"I will." I kissed the top of Bella's head as she snuggled up at me. "So what's been going on in the world of Weasley?"

George snorted. "Well, Dad and Percy haven't been home much. They've been copping shit left, right, and center. I don't know how they're dealing with it."

"That bad, huh?" I asked as Fred and George took a seat, but Ron hovered in the doorway. "You can sit, Ron. I'll let you know when your friends get here."

"Uh … thank you, Edward."

Harry's eyebrows shot up at Ron's almost nervous answer. He'd received the worst of Ron's behavior. He had been an awful friend to him once upon a time, but Harry—sometimes—missed the friendship they had before he changed. I don't know if they'd ever get that back, but if Ron were making a positive change, there was no reason why we couldn't help him—if he wanted it.

"It's bad," George groaned. "But this morning had to have taken the cake."

"Cake?" Bella asked. I chuckled. My girl had a serious sweet tooth, and even though she'd just had pancakes—drowned in maple syrup, no less—for breakfast not that long ago, Bella would eat sweets whenever she could.

"It's a turn of phrase, Bella. There's no actual cake, at least until the trolley lady arrives later."

"Oh. Okay then, what happened?"

"We woke up to Mum screaming up the stairs for Dad this morning, telling him there was an emergency message from the Ministry," Fred began. "So, of course, we decided to listen in on the conversation."

Neville snorted. "Of course, you did. You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

George clapped once, pointing at Neville. "Exactly! So we snuck downstairs, enough that Dad and Mum couldn't see us, and peeked down into the living room so we could place one of our prototype ears behind the clock so we could hear everything, but Mum and Dad couldn't see it. Once we placed it, we saw Janus Burbage's face in the coals of the fireplace; we then snuck upstairs while he explained that there had been an incident at Mad Eye Moody's place overnight where the 'please' force had to be called."

Harry, Hermione, and I all burst into laughter. I could see that our laughter confused the Weasleys as well as Neville and Bella.

Hermione took pity on them and decided to explain. "Here your law enforcement are called Aurors. Not only that, you have many different departments that investigate different breaches of magical misuse. But in the muggle world, our law enforcers are called police officers, and they are on the police force, not the 'please force'."

Bella and Neville nodded, taking that information in like they always did when it came to things of the muggle world that they didn't know. But Fred and George let out an "Ooooooooh." As if they understood the difference. I wasn't sure they did, which made me chuckle silently.

"Anyway, continue on. What happened this morning with Mad Eye? And who is Mad Eye Moody?" I waved my hand around in the continue motion.

Fred sighed. "It's kind of a sad story. Mad Eye Moody used to be one of the best Aurors around. The problem was that he never had any downtime, never married, never confided in anyone, and eventually, it wore on him. He became paranoid. He started to believe that everyone was out to get him.

"The fact is, though, he did put away many, many wizards and witches. So he probably had every right to be paranoid. But with that paranoia came a few hexes that caught muggle attention. And that's what happened last night. According to Burbage, Moody thought someone was trying to break into his place. Now, Moody can't do anything half way, so he'd hexed a few of his dustbins to explode. Apparently, they were still exploding when the police showed up. Dad and Burbage were worried about what would happen to him should the Improper Use of Magic department get ahold of him. He has a record."

I snorted. "Not a surprise if he's paranoid. Do you know if anyone was there? In his back yard?"

"Burbage didn't think so. But we didn't find out; we left before Dad got home. Why do you ask?" George looked over at me.

"Because sometimes, they aren't all that paranoid. Sometimes, somebody is actually being spied on." I paused for a moment. "Dean and Seamus are here, Ron. They've managed to grab a cabin three or four down."

Ron nodded, stood, and made his way to the door. Before he walked out, he turned to face us. "I just want to wish you all a good year at Hogwarts. I hope it's quieter for all of you." We were all so surprised that we were unable to form an answer, and Ron didn't wait for one. Once he'd said his piece, he was gone.

"Did that just happen, or was I imagining it?" Bella asked, still looking out the door.

Luna arrived then, plopping herself in a seat by the window. "Did what happen?"

"Uh … Ron just wished us luck for the upcoming year," Hermione replied. "Didn't see that one coming."

Luna froze for a second. "Huh. Well, let's hope this year is better than the last ones. Can't get much worse, can it?"

"No, don't say that!" Bella whined. "You'll jinx us!"

We shared a good laugh before it morphed into conversation. We spent the next while just catching up on the last few days and even talking about how good the Cup was, at least until the death eaters ruined it for everyone. By the time the train pulled out of the station, we were all caught up and pulling out books or magazines to read, paper and pencils to draw with, or games to play.

Harry was once again looking out the window of the carriage as we sped our way out of London and Kings Cross Station.

"It's surprising how much the weather reminds me of the trip we made to Hogwarts last year," he said, calling everyone's attention to the window.

"Still think it's an omen for something bad?" I asked.

"Certainly didn't give us anything good last year. But like Luna said, how much worse can it get?"

"With everything that's happened in the last few weeks," I sighed, "I'm thinking it can get so much worse." I looked out the window to see that the clouds were making it almost as dark as the night sky. "Much, much worse."

~*~UHS~*~

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**Is Edward right? Is it going to get worse? Or will things be okay?**

**I look forward to seeing what you think. See you in a fortnight!**


	7. Chapter Six - Back at Hogwarts

**Hello everyone! Welcome to another posting day. It's had to believe it's been a fortnight since the last one! But in this last fortnight I have officially finished school! YAY! That also means that I've had more time to write, and read, while I look for a more permanent job. But you guys don't want to hear about that, you just want to read!**

**Thank you to Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson for all their support. I would be really lost without them.**

**I don't own Twilight or Harry Potter, they belong to SM and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**See you at the bottom.**

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**Chapter Six – Back at Hogwarts**

The trip to Hogwarts was quiet for the most part. Sure conversation was interspersed in between bouts of silence, but otherwise, everyone in our cabin—although, Fred and George were quietly drawing and whispering—were quiet. Even the trip from Hogsmeade Station was relatively quiet. It's like we were waiting for the other shoe to drop, almost.

That was until we reached the castle to find a group of students standing in a semi-circle, looking at the front door with trepidation. And considering it was still raining here at Hogwarts, I was rather surprised that they were willing to stand around in it until I heard the cackling coming from inside the door. It seemed that Peeves was welcoming us back to Hogwarts in his own way.

Our group walked to the front of the semi-circle of students just in time to see an older Slytherin make a dash for the front door, only for him to be pelted by—what else?—water balloons. Peeves didn't think the students were wet enough obviously.

I heard Fred and George chuckle from either side of me, and even Bella let out a little giggle. But it wasn't until she looked up at me to find that I even had a smirk on my face, enjoying his game, that she laughed out loud. I had found that since having the Obscurial removed from my body I could find the humor in most situations.

I read through the thoughts of those around me and found that Bella—of all people—wanted to see if we could get through Peeves. "I have a feeling Professor McGonagall will be here soon. So if you want to try what you're thinking, it better be now."

Bella nodded to say that she'd heard me. I watched through her thoughts as she released her shield and spread it out over our large group, but instead of making it like it was a dome over us, Bella inverted it so it would catch the water balloons and then fling them back at Peeves.

"All right, everyone," she said to our group. "Let's go!"

Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were apprehensive about walking toward the door but trusted Bella. All the boys were wondering what was going to happen and figured they were already wet through so what did it matter if Peeves got them with more water.

The others watching the door wondered why so many of us were going all at once. They thought we were trying to give the poltergeist too many targets to throw at, and therefore, some of us would be spared.

"Hey, Peeves!" Fred and George called when we got closer. "Had a good holiday?"

A water balloon came flying at us from the vicinity of the door. You couldn't tell exactly where they were coming from because Peeves was invisible. But Bella's shield caught the balloon, and using the momentum, slid it around the bowl and back in the direction of said poltergeist, causing Bella and the others to giggle when it hit above his head and rained water over him, giving him a semblance of shape.

What I found hilarious was the look on his face. Peeves had obviously never been bested at one of his games before, and I could see the shock written all over his face, however briefly I saw him.

"Cheeky Veela!" Peeves cackled right before he lobbed several balloons in quick succession.

Bella's shield managed to catch and lob back many, many balloons. The more she caught, the more the crowd got involved cheering her on. She didn't miss one until the very last one that went high. It may have missed Bella's shield, but I was able to jump to catch the wayward balloon.

Peeves had seen me catch it, and he thought the best course of action was to taunt me. "Oooooo! What's the big bad vampire going to do? Are you going to try to get little ole me all wet!"

I smiled, one of the ones I used to use when hunting the evil humans, which caused Peeves to pause. "I'm not going to throw it at you. Trying to get you wet would be pointless."

"Oooooooo," the crowd of students around us catcalled before they started chanting, "Go, Edward! Go, Edward! Go, Edward!"

Because what Peeves hadn't seen was that the ghost of the Bloody Baron—the only one who had any control over our resident poltergeist—had come out to watch the goings on in the courtyard. So while Peeves was taunting us, joking around with Bella and the twins, I kept an eye on where the Bloody Baron was floating, scowling at the spectacle. Once we walked under Peeves, I managed to throw that last balloon so it passed just over the top of his right hand and out toward the Baron. I kept an eye on the blue balloon—as did the entire crowd—as it soared through the Baron's chest, it hit the wall with a loud smack. Ice shards flew in all directions, including back through the ghostly figure of the Baron and out into the grounds. To say the Baron was less than pleased was an understatement because he hadn't seen where the balloon had come from. But the ruckus the Baron caused managed to call in Professor McGonagall, putting an end to all of Peeves' mischief.

I wasn't quite sure if I had created a friend in Peeves or an enemy. Time would tell.

The crowd of students were cheering as we walked in the door so Bella and I turned, clasped hands, and bowed to the children who were celebrating our win over Peeves, the mischievous poltergeist.

"That was fun," Bella snickered as she slid her wand into her hand. "We should dry off before trudging all this water into the Great Hall for dinner."

"It was fun," I said, following her example. "What happened to the balloon? Why did it shatter against the wall?"

"That would be because ghosts flash freeze things that pass through them, Mr. Masen." A familiar voice sounded from behind us. We all spun to find Professor Dumbledore standing there with a tiny little smirk on his face. "It's good to see you all again. That was a very clever trick, Miss Swan. I'm not sure we've seen Peeves bested in all of the many years he's been here."

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," all nine of us said together, which caused us all to laugh and him to chuckle.

"Thank you, Professor." Bella smiled. "It's fun when we can turn the jokes on the jokester."

I ruffled her hair before pulling her into a hug. "Well, you've certainly had lots of practice living with Emmett and Jasper."

"You've been just as bad this summer!" Hermione pointed at me. "Don't even try that!"

I held up my hands while biting back a laugh. Hermione was right. I had felt so much lighter, still did, and that had come out to play all summer long. I'd joined in games, made bets with my brothers, and even managed to be a little annoying to the girls. And that was on top of everything fun we had done all summer long.

"Please, go into the Great Hall. We have some new announcements this year. I'm sure you'll all be excited once you hear them." Professor Dumbledore gave us his signature funny little smirk. The one that told us he knew something we didn't. Although, from the look of this one, it was something we were going to enjoy.

We followed Professor Dumbledore into the hall, then spread out onto either side of the Gryffindor table. The Weasleys and Neville on one side. Harry, Hermione, Bella, and I on the other while Luna went to sit with her housemates at the Ravenclaw table. Professor Dumbledore reached the teachers' table and took his seat while Professor McGonagall carried the three-legged stool and the Sorting Hat into the hall, a line of first years in her wake. After the hat's song, the first years were sorted; we'd gained a whopping nine new Gryffindors, including Colin Creevey's little brother Dennis. There hadn't been that many since our first year. Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat, quietening the whole hall to address us with his famous first words, "Blabber, Whoosh, Blam," before clapping his hands to have the house elves produce the start of year feast.

It took a few minutes, but the silence from the other side of Bella finally caught our attention. We both looked up to see that Hermione wasn't eating; she was glaring at me.

"What?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

"How can you eat that? Hogwarts has house elves!" Hermione demanded.

"Uh … because Professor Dumbledore would never treat house elves badly, Hermione. Does he strike you as the type who would?" I could see I had caused Hermione to stop and think about what I was saying. "He has hired … hired two elves that we know of. Dobby and Pokey. He also took Winky in with just a recommendation from Bella. What makes you think he'd treat them like Malfoy does?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Professor Dumbledore treats the house elves here like Bella, I, or even you treat Kreacher at home. They're happy, they're fulfilled, and they love to take care of the students and staff. Learn about the family, and the elves in their homes, before you jump to conclusions. I think we've had this conversation before."

Hermione smirked. "Okay, okay. I get it. Thank God, at least I can eat now."

Bella snickered. "We're behind you, Hermione. We'll support you, all the time. But we won't be afraid to tell you when you're wrong."

"And I will be forever grateful for that!" Hermione reached out for the roasted vegetables in front of her and started to pile up her plate.

For the next couple of hours we ate, we talked, and we caught up with friends we hadn't seen over the summer, but once the food disappeared, we all grew silent and faced the teachers' table. The first years following our cues.

When everyone had fallen silent, Professor Dumbledore stood and walked around to the podium, which was placed in front of the teachers' table, and placed his hands on either side of it, looking out over us all.

"Welcome to all the new students, and welcome back to all the old ones! I'd appreciate your attention for just a little while longer. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of forbidden things—some four-hundred and thirty-seven items—has been extended to include Screaming Yo-yo's, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-bashing boomerangs." Fred and George snickered even as the side of Dumbledore's mouth curved up a little bit. "He has a complete list of all things banned if you'd like to see what else is on it."

"Although, you could probably just ask Fred and George," Bella whispered on a snicker, which caused me to chuckle silently.

"As always, the Forbidden Forest is exactly that, forbidden. And Hogsmeade is also forbidden to anyone in first or second year. I regret to inform you that due to an event that will be taking place this year at Hogwarts, the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not be held this year."

The silence around the hall was deafening. Harry's mouth had fallen open, as had Fred' sand George's. But as I looked around the hall, I could see it wasn't just the quidditch players with their mouths open. It was a lot of the students, which showed just how important this little competition was.

"This event will start in October and continue throughout the year. It will take up most of the teachers' time and energy. Although, I have no doubt you will all enjoy it immensely."

Before Professor Dumbledore could continue, the hall doors flew open with a massive bang as a huge roll of thunder and a flash of lightning sounded from overhead, causing several of the students to scream in terror. Every eye in the Great Hall spun to face the figure standing in the doorway. The imposing figure was illuminated by several flashes of lightning as he flicked off the hood of his coat and shook out a long mane of blond hair streaked with gray.

The silence was deafening as the man started his, surprisingly, uneven trek down the aisle of the Great Hall. With every other step, there was a thunk that echoed into the hall, and every eye followed as he made it to the end of the aisle, turned right, and walked up to Professor Dumbledore. It was at that angle, with the next flash of lighting, that made his face all the clearer to everyone in that hall. With that glimpse of his face, several students gasped out in horrified shock.

This man's face was weathered with age. So much so that it almost looked like his face was roughly carved from wood. He had several scars covering much of his face, including one that made his mouth look a little lopsided. His nose was missing some chunks out of it, but the most disturbing part of him had to be his eyes. And I thought red vampire eyes were disconcerting. But his? His were worse. One was small, dark, and beady while the other was as large as a coin and electric blue. It moved continuously, like it was on a swivel, and was held in place by a brass circle and a leather strap around his head. There was no eyelid, and several times the eye—moving independently of the other one—would roll around, all the way around, so that it was looking at the inside of his head. Even as a vampire, I was creeped out.

As the new stranger walked up to Dumbledore, I realized that I couldn't hear his thoughts, which of course piqued my attention. I would be keeping an eye on him. The hall was still silent as the man in question reached a hand—as scarred as his face—out to Professor Dumbledore to shake. With a short, almost too quiet conversation, Professor Dumbledore enquired after the man and then directed him to a seat at the teachers' table.

_He must be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,_ Bella thought, watching in sickly fascination as the man sniffed the plate of sausages he'd pulled toward him before he speared them with a knife. I peered under the table to see that one of his legs stuck unnaturally straight under the table. A closer look revealed its foot to be a wooden bulb with a metal plate on the bottom. The uneven gate and the thumps had a source. Our new teacher had a wooden leg. _Did you get anything from him?_ Bella looked up at me. When I shook my head, she looked back at him with a frown on her face. _Interesting._

"Help me welcome our new Defense teacher, Professor Alistair Moody!" Dumbledore said cheerfully from the podium. He was trying to garner back some of the attention that was still on Moody. Usually staff and students celebrated a new teacher with clapping, but not this time. Everyone stayed deathly still.

"Moody? As in _Mad Eye_? The one your father left to help this morning?" I asked, looking over at Fred and George.

They both shrugged, but George answered me. "Must be. How many Moody's can there be?"

_That's not pumpkin juice,_ Bella thought, watching Moody as he placed a flask back in his overcoat. _If only Edward could smell it from here._

"If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say something with alcohol, or even a potion for pain. Those scars could be quite painful. But I'll suss that out later."

_Okay, good._ Bella nodded in agreement.

"Now, like I was saying, Hogwarts this year is playing host to a legendary event," Dumbledore said, finally getting the attention of most of the students. "It's one that has not been held in over a century. So in the coming months, everyone will be very busy because it is my great pleasure to inform you that Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament!"

Applause broke out around the Great Hall. There was hooting and hollering, and an extremely loud exclamation of "You're joking!" from Fred and George.

I looked around in confusion—glad to see I wasn't the only one confused—because in all the books I'd read, I'd never heard of this … "Triwizard Tournament?" I asked Bella.

Bella looked up at me in surprise, as even she had been clapping. _You don't know what that is?_ she asked, and I shook my head. _I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will explain. But it really is a spectacular event._

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "No, boys, I am not joking. Although, I did hear a good one …" He looked out over the students and chuckled again. "This is not the time for that. However, I can see that some of you are confused about what the tournament is. If you know, please allow your mind to wander.

"Some seven-hundred years ago the Triwizard Tournament was established. It's a friendly competition between the three European schools: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. It was agreed that it could be used as an excellent way to foster relationships between students. The competition was held every five years at a different school, and from each school, one champion is selected to compete in three magical tasks, each more daring than the one before it. Well, it was until the death toll became too high and the competition was discontinued."

_Death toll?_ I thought, alarmed. How could a school competition have a death toll?

I could see only a few other people who were worried about the death toll. Most of the student body were excited. I looked over at the teachers' table to see that Esme and Jasper weren't in the least bit surprised. In fact, they looked a little smug. That was when it hit me that they knew. They'd known this was coming, and they'd kept it from me.

_Smart._ I shook my head and wondered how they'd done it.

"There have been many attempts over the centuries to get the tournament going again that have been unsuccessful. But thanks to the dedication of the Departments of International Magical Co-operation and Magical Sports and Games, plus those here at Hogwarts, we have decided that the time is ripe for another attempt at the Triwizard Tournament. We have all worked very hard over the summer to make sure that no champion will find themselves in mortal danger.

"The heads of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons will be here, with their small contingents of possible champions in late October, and the selection ceremony will be held on the night of Halloween. An impartial judge will decide on those students most worthy of competing for the Triwizard Cup, and they will go on to compete for not only the glory but a thousand galleons in prize money!"

"We are so in on that!" Fred and George cheered, as did many others in the Great Hall. But I wondered what the catch would be. "What about you, Edward? Are you going to compete?"

I shrugged. "I don't know that I need the glory." I smirked, though, because I could feel my vampire clawing at the chance to prove to his mate that he was the best there was, and nobody would be able to best him. "But I can't say I'm not intrigued."

There were excited whispers and loud conversations all around the hall. Many of them excited to put their name in for the cup. The hall gradually fell silent when we realized that Professor Dumbledore was still standing at the podium and was waiting, calmly, for us to settle down.

"I know most of you are eager to compete for the Cup, to bring it to Hogwarts, but the Heads of the competing schools, plus the Ministry of Magic have decided to place an age restriction on the Tournament. While there is no chance of an accidental death due to the precautions we have taken, the tasks are difficult and dangerous, and those not of age are less likely to be able to complete them."

There was outrage all around the Great Hall, the loudest being Fred and George. So once again, Professor Dumbledore waited until there was silence before he spoke again. "I will personally be seeing that no-one is able to hoodwink our impartial judge into choosing someone under the age of seventeen, so I beg of you," he said while looking directly at the Weasley twins, "don't waste yours, or the judges, time by placing your name in for the cup uselessly. The delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive in October and will stay for the rest of the school year, and I know you will all endeavor to make them feel welcome. I also don't doubt that you will give your Hogwarts champion your full support after he, or she, has been chosen. It's now time for you to get rested for your classes tomorrow. Goodnight!"

The noise level of the students leaving the Great Hall was louder than in the years past. Most of them excitedly chattering about what was going to happen during our school year, some grumbling about the fact that they weren't able to compete because of the age restriction, and then there was Fred and George. They had stood from the table when everyone else had gotten up, but they didn't move from their spots. Instead, they stood glaring at Professor Dumbledore and complaining about the fact that they couldn't compete.

"Who is this impartial judge, anyway?" Fred asked when we were finally able to coax them to move on from the hall. "That's who we have to trick into thinking we're seventeen."

George nodded. "What does it matter? We'll be seventeen in April."

Hermione snorted. "Professor Dumbledore will be making sure the judge can tell the difference. I don't think you're going to be able to get one past him."

"But it's not Professor Dumbledore who will be picking the champions, it's the judge. What about a simple aging potion, Fred?" George looked over at his brother.

"I think that could work. You gonna help us, Edward?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, boys. I think if I helped you it might hinder my own chances at being chosen as champion."

"You're going to put your name down?" Bella's head whipped up to mine. "What about the fact that the tasks are dangerous? Or the fact that you aren't in years six or seven? How do you know you'll know the spells needed? And there's still a chance of death!"

I pulled Bella into my arms. "Who better to compete in a magical competition that's dangerous than someone who cannot be killed?"

Harry and Neville stopped and spun around in front of us. "We'll support you!" they both blurted out together. "You'd make the perfect Hogwarts champion!" they finished together.

"Like you said," Harry continued. "Who better than someone who can't be killed? And wouldn't it be cool if our champion was a Gryffindor!"

Hermione laughed. "I think you've been selected, Edward, without even putting your name down for the competition. The boys are right, though. You are perfect for it. Don't you think, Bella?"

I looked down at my beautiful girl, who was getting more and more beautiful by the day, and waited for her thoughts. If she didn't want me to enter the tournament, then I wouldn't, but I couldn't say I wouldn't be disappointed to be able to prove my masculinity to her. And I couldn't even say that was my vampire talking; that was all me, seventeen-year-old boy wanting to impress his girlfriend.

"Yeah," Bella sighed. It sounded kind of swoony. "That would be awesome. And to think, I could be dating the Hogwarts Champion this year!"

"Woo hoo!" I cheered, pulling her into my arms and spinning around in a circle, right there on the moving staircase. "I'm going to make you so proud of me. Proud to be on my arm."

"Oh, Edward. I'm proud of both you and being on your arm, every day. But I can tell you there better not be any girls from either of those schools who try to put the moves on you because I will not leave them unscathed while proving my point."

Everyone snickered at Bella. We'd all seen what she could do back in first year. It was so effective that not once had I had to deal with inappropriate thoughts since then. Sure, there were thoughts about my looks, but nothing that made me uncomfortable. It was a huge relief, to be honest.

"Well, if we can't get in, because we are going to try"—Fred nodded to George's statement—"then we'll be glad that we have someone we can support."

I laughed as we started back up the staircase. "Thanks for that vote of confidence, guys. I couldn't feel more supported."

We continued to joke around as we walked up the staircase to the seventh floor and the door to Gryffindor tower. As usual, our door was hidden behind the portrait of the Fat Lady, and she was there, waiting for us with a smile on her face.

"Gryffindors! How were your holidays? Did you hear the news? Of course, you did. Everyone is talking about it. Edward, I know you're seventeen." Here the Fat Lady giggled like a schoolgirl because I was more than just seventeen. "Are you going to try competing?"

"I am, Lady. I hope I'll have your support if I'm chosen."

"Oh, pish. No doubt about it. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you're chosen. Now, what's the password, dears?"

"Balderdash!" We all replied together, laughing at ourselves.

Once inside, we all said our goodnights. Bella decided she was going to sleep in the dormitory with Hermione, so that left me with time on my hands, which was a good thing. I wanted to get into my trunk and make sure Bella's birthday present was exactly as I set it up. I couldn't wait to give it to her.

When that was done, I raced up to the Room of Requirement to ask if it had anything on previous Triwizard Tournaments. I wanted to learn as much as I could before the tournament started. The room provided me with several books to read, so I made my way back to the Common Room and settled in for a full night of reading.

~*~UHS~*~

"Oooo, we're outside all morning. Well, sort of," Bella cheered, looking over our schedules for this year. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, and Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins. I wonder what Hagrid will have us do this year."

"Nothing you'll be bringing home, that's for sure."

Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Harry laughed at our banter. It was the same discussion we'd had last year. Not that it mattered because we had brought home something anyway, in the form of Buckbeak the Hippogriff.

"I'll do my best but won't make any promises." Bella laughed as we made our way out to the greenhouses where Professor Sprout was waiting for us. "How are you feeling, Ginny? All excited for fourth year?"

"A little nervous actually. This is scary, skipping a grade." Ginny shrugged.

"You'll do fine," Hermione and I said together, then laughed. But we fell quiet as we approached Professor Sprout.

"Morning, fourth years! I hope you've put your learning caps on for a full year this year. Although, I'm sure you are more than distracted by the news of the tournament." There were more excited whispers at the reminder of the tournament. "For now, though, let's get to learning."

We followed her through to one of the greenhouses we'd never been in to find these strange looking plants. Not that they were a distinction because every plant we'd seen so far in our school career had been strange. But these looked more like black slugs sticking out of their pots, and they wriggled.

"These are bubotubers, and we need to collect the puss …"

"The _what_?" Dean and Seamus exclaimed at the same time.

"The puss, boys. We need to collect it for Madam Pomfrey. So you need to do this …"

For the rest of the hour, we proceeded to squeeze the puss from the bubotuber plants. Surprisingly enough, squeezing those plants was rather relaxing and satisfying. For each boil that we squeezed and popped, a thick yellow puss, smelling strongly of petrol, burst forth. We collected the puss in small bottles and had several pints after the hour.

"That will keep Madam Pomfrey happy. This kind of puss is excellent for use against teenage acne. And it's certainly better than using other treatments or hexes to rid themselves of pimples," Professor Sprout mused to herself.

Hannah Abbott leaned over to speak quietly. "Like poor Eloise Midgen, she tried to curse hers off. It's good that Madam Pomfrey was able to get her nose back on in the end."

"Silly girl," Professor Sprout muttered, shaking her head. "All to avoid the smell."

Not long after that conversation, the bell rang to signify it was time to go to our next class. We followed the Hufflepuffs out of the greenhouses, then split up for us to head down to Hagrid's cabin. We found Hagrid standing outside with his large boarhound Fang. We could see that even with his incredible bulk, Hagrid was straining, trying to hang onto Fang's collar. It took me a few seconds to realize it was the rattling and small explosions coming from behind Hagrid's cabin that Fang wanted to investigate.

"Mornin', Gryffindors! We'll just wait 'ere for the Slytherins. Wouldn't want them to miss out on the Blast-Ended Skrewts!" Hagrid smiled at us. "Ginny! So good to see you! Did yeh know yer the first student ta skip a grade in all the time I've been 'ere?"

Ginny shook her head, blushing. "No, I didn't know that."

"It's a great thing, it is. I'm thinkin' there might be more in the future. Ahh 'ere comes the Slytherins. This way, this way!" Bella and I looked at each other as we followed Hagrid and the other Gryffindors around his cabin to find several crates.

"Ewwwww!" Lavender Brown squealed, moving backward several steps.

_Aww. I think they're kinda cute,_ Bella cooed.

I snorted. "Only you, and Hagrid, could think that." I kissed the top of her head after she spun to stick her tongue out at me. I looked back down at the Skrewts. I wasn't sure what kind of animals these were. You couldn't tell one end from the other. Their legs stuck out all over the place, at the oddest of angles, and occasionally, they'd let out this little puff before a small burst of flames shot out of one end. What made these animals interesting was that with every burst of fire they shot forward a few inches. I'd hate to see the damage these could do if they were any bigger.

"They've only just hatched, so for yer grade this year, yeh are goin' to be raisin' these Skrewts. Yeh're gonna have to feed 'em after yeh figure out what they eat."

I leaned over the crate a little more, only to pull back with my nose wrinkled in disgust. These … Skrewts … smelled strongly of rotting fish.

"Why would we do that?" a nasally voice asked from the back.

I watched through Bella as she turned to look at the voice of Pansy Parkinson. If I was to compare her to someone, I would say she would be the Bonnie to Draco's Clyde, if he had become what his father wanted him to be.

Pansy sneered at our teacher. "What do they do? Why would we _want_ to raise them?"

"We aren't learnin' that today, Miss Parkinson," Hagrid said formally. "Today, we're tryin' to figure out what they eat. We'll concentrate on that 'nother day."

For the next twenty minutes, we pulled out handfuls of squishy frog livers from a bucket that Hagrid had collected. We didn't really have a whole lot of luck.

"Eeww, Hagrid, what's that pointing thing?" Lavender Brown squealed again.

"That's the stinger," Hagrid said proudly. "I figure those are the males, and the females have a sucker underneath—I figure for sucking blood."

Bella snorted quietly, causing me to look over at her. She smiled angelically. _Don't need any of these at home; we have enough bloodsuckers!_

I chuckled as Dean yelled out an "ouch"; apparently, he'd been burnt by the exploding end of one of the Skrewts. I could see why Hagrid was fascinated by the creatures, even if they weren't for me.

"Who wouldn't want a pet that could burn, sting, and bite all at once," Pansy said sarcastically. "I can totally see why we're trying to keep them alive."

I could see that Hermione and Bella were gearing up to retaliate, but Ginny surprised us all by getting in first. "They might not be the cutest pets out there, sure a dog or cat might be better, but you never know what they might cure in the future! They could be full of magical properties, just like dragon's blood! But you wouldn't keep a dragon as a pet."

I sneaked a glance up at Hagrid, who was smirking slightly behind his great, big, bushy beard. For a very short time in our first year, Hagrid had won a dragon egg from—we later found out was Professor Quirrell and Voldemort—a card game at the pub. According to the books we consulted, it should have hatched a Norwegian Ridgeback, but Dumbledore had spirited it away before it could.

After that vehement defense by Ginny, the rest of the class was quiet, at least in voice, apart from the occasional ouch or eww, depending on what had happened. That was until we started the trek back up to the castle for lunch. Once we were far enough away, the Slytherins started their complaining, except for Draco, who was in the back, rolling his eyes. The girls started chatting about Bella's birthday while Harry and Neville talked about the tournament.

"Are you really going to put your name down for the cup, Edward?" Neville asked, looking over his shoulder at me.

"I am."

"Why?"

I was taken aback a little at the question. I had thought I'd answered it the night before. "What do you mean, why? Because I want Bella to be proud of me."

"Oh, I get that, even though she's proud of you always. But why?" Neville answered.

I held in a breath before letting it all out in a rush. "Vampires are naturally violent creatures. Sure, we can be civil, as you well know, but we also have a wicked violent streak. That violent streak is pacified by violent activities. Wizards chess is a good one, the wrestling matches Emmett, Jasper, and I participate in are a great way to alleviate that need for violence, and hunting. Sometimes, we like to play with our food, which is why even though we don't have to hunt, I go hunting once a week when we're home. We also have a need to prove to our mates that we are the strongest, most virile of men. This competition meets both of those needs. I'd be hard pressed not to enter this tournament. My instincts are screaming at me. It can't come soon enough."

Harry and Neville walked next to me, contemplating everything that I had said.

"So even though you're mated for life, your natural urge is to continue to prove that?" Harry asked the follow up question.

"Yup. I don't know why; it's just one of those things."

Bella turned around, walking backward, and giggled at our conversation. "That sounds like every male in existence, if you ask me. Why do men fight over a woman neither of them are dating? And it doesn't just happen in the human world either. All throughout the animal kingdom, the males of many different species fight other strong males with the female as a prize. Edward, vampires, all men have that essential makeup. It really is as simple as that."

"Huh," both boys said together. They continued walking all the way into the Great Hall for lunch. While they hadn't started thinking about girls in more than abstract terms, they wondered how they would behave when the time came.

"I can promise I won't let you step out of line." I snorted into my pumpkin juice.

"Hermione, what are you doing? Why are you eating like that?" Bella asked in surprise.

"I want to get to the library. I have something to do."

Ginny looked up. "It's only the first day. We haven't even had any homework assigned yet."

"It's not homework," Hermione answered, finishing her last mouthful. "Are you coming to Arithmancy this year, Edward?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

"See you there! Catch you later, guys." Hermione rushed out of the Great Hall like her hair was on fire. Bella and Ginny looked to me for answers.

I smiled. "She'll come to you, all of us, when she's ready. Trust me. What she's doing will be good."

~*~UHS~*~

Hermione and I met up with Harry and Neville as they came down from Divination and we were leaving Arithmancy. I laughed along with them as they carried on about the way Professor Trelawney conducted her lessons. I had to admit it would be good for a laugh, if nothing else.

Bella and Ginny joined us as we reached the foyer; they'd had a free afternoon and were enjoying some of the summer weather. We were deciding what to do next when a cold, sneering voice sounded out from behind us.

"Oi, Weasley, you seen the paper today? Seems daddy dearest is in trouble." Pansy Parkinson was approaching us with a group of Slytherin girls who seemed to be her posse. They followed her around like she was the queen. "Although, they couldn't even get his name right. Listen to this:

"_Further mistakes at the Ministry of Magic. It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, _writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. _Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment by the antics of Arnold Weasley of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office."_

Pansy looked around to see that she had garnered a crowd. She flicked the paper out with relish and smirked in Ginny's direction.

"_Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved with a tussle with several muggle law-keepers (policemen) over a number of highly aggressive dustbins._"

Before Pansy could continue, Bella snorted and pulled out a sheet of paper, something I recognized as today's _The Truth_ article.

"You want to bring up that terrible article written by a terrible person, who can't even tell the truth, Pansy? How about a little perspective?

"_Yesterday morning, Arthur Weasley was called to the home of renowned Auror Alistair Moody. What could have turned into a potentially embarrassing incident for the Ministry of Magic was saved by none other than Arthur. Due to being an excellent and well-known Auror, Mr. Moody, naturally, has a fortified home._

"_Mr. Moody had reported that he was being spied upon, and when the intruder entered his backyard, they set off a chain of events in which his dustbins attacked the intruder. Mr. Moody's muggle neighbors naturally called their lawmen or policemen, thanks to the noise being made. Thanks to Arthur's quick response, only a few memories had to be modified and a bigger incident was avoided. Unfortunately, said intruder was able to flee in the distraction but was traced to a nearby house that was unoccupied._

"_We should all be so lucky to be helped by one such as Alistair Moody and Arthur Weasley._

"Maybe flashy words and blame do it for you, Pansy Parkinson, but I prefer to know all the facts before I start spouting off bullshit," Bella hissed, getting right up in the girl's face.

I could see through Pansy that Bella's eyes had changed to the all-white that freaked people out but showed me how powerful she was.

"Oh, that's right, you lived with the Weasleys before your little mate came along," Pansy sneered, even as she took a small step backward. "Tell me, is her mother as porky as this picture portrays?"

"Oh, no you don't!" I launched forward and grabbed Bella's arm as she brought it up to punch Pansy in the nose. Hermione and Harry had grabbed the back of Ginny's robes because she had started forward to give Bella a hand. "Leave it be, Bella. She's not worth the trouble you'd get in."

Bella shrugged me off. "Fine. You're right. She's not worth it. But I wouldn't call someone porky, if I were you, not with that snout for a nose, piggy." Bella snorted a couple of times, making the others around us laugh while Pansy's hand shot up to her nose, trying to feel what Bella was talking about.

By the time we'd turned around and walked back to our friends, Bella's eyes had changed back to their gorgeous brown. That was until a spell shot past her ear. Something I had missed because of all the voices—mental and physical—around us. In an instant, Bella's white eyes were back, her wand was in her hand, and she had started to turn. She hadn't made it all the way around before we heard a loud bang and a roar, which echoed around the foyer, making Bella and I cover our ears.

"Oh, no you don't, lassie!" Professor Moody's voice echoed around the foyer. We spun around to see him limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing at where Pansy had been standing. Now, though, there was a pure white ferret. It was shivering and attempting to move backward, away from Moody, but was unable to because it was held in place by the wand pointing at it.

Moody's eye was roving over everyone until it landed on Harry, and then Bella. "Did she get you?"

"Pfft, no. She's a terrible shot." At Bella's words, the ferret started squeaking fiercely.

"Leave her be," Moody growled. His magical eye shot around to look out of the back of his head before the rest of his head followed. We all looked over to see that two of Pansy's followers were trying to pick her up and run off with her.

While this was highly entertaining, something felt completely off about it. And about Moody himself. I knew that, as an Auror, he would have his mind closed due to fear of his mind being invaded. That didn't bug me; it was the smell that I detected coming from him, which had me concerned. I couldn't quite put my finger on it with so many who were up close and personal. I hoped that once we had class with him, I'd be able to tell what it was.

Moody was now limping after the two girls, who I found out were Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass, and the ferret who was Pansy. All three took off, but Moody pointed his wand at the ferret, who flew ten feet into the air, then landed with a smack against the floor before repeating it again and again.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponents' backs are turned. It's a stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do," Moody growled again as the ferret continued to fly through the air, its legs flailing uselessly as it tried to stop the momentum. The ferret bounced on the floor with each of Moody's next words. "Never—do—that—again!"

Everybody was so morbidly fascinated at what we were watching—myself included—that we hadn't realized another teacher had entered the foyer until the shocked voice of Professor McGonagall rang out from the doors of the Great Hall. "Professor Moody!"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Moody answered calmer than I had heard him today.

"What …" she started while watching the ferret bounce up and down. "What are you doing?"

Moody snorted. "Teaching."

"Teach—Moody, is that a _student_?" shrieked Professor McGonagall.

"Technically, it's a ferret."

"Oh, my Merlin, no!" Professor McGonagall gasped before rushing over, pulling out her wand, and waving it at the ferret Moody was holding in the air. With a snapping noise and a thump, Pansy Parkinson was lying on the floor, completely disheveled. She slowly climbed to her feet, wincing with every movement. "We never use Transfiguration as punishment! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

As the conversation progressed between the two teachers, the students who had been standing around lost interest and moved off to where they were heading in the first place. Once Moody marched off with Pansy to talk to Professor Snape, we made our way to the Great Hall.

Hermione powered through dinner, like she did with lunch, before she rushed off to the library. Once she was gone Fred, George, and Lee Jordan—the commentator for our quidditch games—sat down with us.

"Isn't Moody awesome?" Fred asked. "We had him today."

I looked over at them, wanting their opinion. "Yeah? What was he like?"

Bella leaned into me, still eating, but listening to what George was going to say. "He's completely crazy, but he knows."

"Knows what?" Neville asked, frowning due to his confusion.

"Knows what it's like to fight against the Dark Arts. To capture the darkest of our kind," Fred said around a mouthful of food.

"Could you imagine any other teacher getting away with something like he did in the foyer?" Lee piped in. "I mean, could you see anyone else doing it?"

We all shook our heads. There wasn't a chance in hell anyone else would have gotten away with that.

"Although, I can't believe Pansy had the gall to do that," Harry murmured. "Where does she get off treating people like that, or attacking someone in the hall? Is that how things are out there?"

"Why wouldn't a war be like that?" I asked, shaking my head. These children were kept in the dark, sheltered from what war was like. Sure, they were told all about the wars that had happened, but they were never shown what happened. "Bad guys are like that because they flout the rules. Don't—for one second—think that they won't break all the rules, shoot you in the back, or cut corners. They will do anything to win, and you have to be ready for that."

Lee was shocked at how forceful I had been with what I thought. I shook my head at him.

"That's not just my thoughts. You have to remember that I've lived through two world wars, out there in the muggle world, one as a human and the second as a vampire. I've seen humanity at its worst. I know what men think. I know those who are evil will do anything to see their evil thoughts come to fruition. I was lucky—I suppose you'd call it—to even hear the thoughts of a couple of mass murderers in my time. They don't care who they hurt, how they hurt them, and what they get out of it when all is said and done. Don't for one minute take for granted what you have now because it can all be taken away in an instant."

"Bleak outlook there, mate," George threw out in an offhand manner.

Bella shook her head. "Not bleak; realistic. I'm proof of how it can be taken away in an instant, and Edward's story is not much different. And don't forget how much Neville and Harry lost the last time Voldemort was loose. Enjoy the things you have now because if, no when, Voldemort returns, everything is going to change."

Lee's mouth dropped open. Sure, we'd had these conversations amongst ourselves, Bella and I especially. The twins had overheard one over the summer and were just as shocked that we believed he'd be back.

"You really think so? You think you-know-who will come back?" Lee breathed.

I rolled my eyes and looked down at the dessert I was trying to eat while Bella huffed. Funny enough, it was Ginny who spoke up in answer to Lee's question.

"The last three years, even last year inadvertently, Voldemort has made a play to come back. The first year, it was through Professor Quirrell; the second year, it was through me; and last year Rabastan Lestrange escaped Azkaban Prison. He was a death eater. You don't think these were all a coincidence, do you?"

"But … but my parents said he was gone! That he couldn't come back!" Lee was freaking out. His voice was rising, and he was calling attention to our conversation. Not that I minded. The wizarding world was so … naïve … no that wasn't the word. They were so willing to … bury their heads in the sand, to ignore what they didn't want to see even if it was staring them in the face.

"There was never a body found, Lee. No confirmation that he died. He just disappeared, last seen heading into some forest in the middle of nowhere," I argued. "I don't see him going away quietly. I see him waiting, wanting, and working to find a way to come back. His whole goal was to escape death, and we don't know that he hasn't done it."

"So listen to those who've been there. Listen to the teachers who fought before and learn all that you can. Otherwise, we'll be left defenseless." Bella stood. "I'm going up to the Common Room. I'm sick and tired of having this conversation."

I stood with her, kissed her forehead, and hugged Ginny when she stood to leave as well. Harry and Neville decided to stay and listen while Fred and George were going to join in. I sat with a sigh, knowing I wouldn't get to the Common Room for a while because a larger group of students were coming forward to join in.

It seemed like I'd be holding court for those interested in learning the signs.

~*~UHS~*~

The teachers hadn't been happy when wind of our conversation had reached their ears. In fact, they were so disappointed in me, of all people, that I had detention for the rest of the week. I could have argued with them about it. Bella had wanted me too. But what was the point. They didn't want to see the facts; they didn't want to take their heads out of the sand. But if the children were willing to look for them, willing to prepare for what was coming, then that was all that mattered. They'd be ready. And they wouldn't take the Daily Prophet at their word when they said, "All was fine."

Because now, they knew it wouldn't be.

Okay, so most of the teachers were upset; the only one who wasn't was Moody. And that put me on edge. I couldn't say why though, and it bothered me more than it should.

I was so distracted by it that Thursday, and our lesson with him, came around faster than it should have.

Alistair Moody was an imposing presence when we walked through the door to our Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He didn't say one single word as we all cautiously walked into the classroom and made our way to our usual seats. The whole time his magical eye was roaming around the room, over all of us, but falling to Harry more often than not.

_Are you going to try to scent him?_ Bella giggled in her thoughts before she sobered up. _Try to figure out what he's been drinking?_

I nodded ever so gently. Just enough that Bella would know because I didn't want Moody to realize we were talking.

_Oooo, subterfuge. I could say anything, and you'd have to be like those guards at the Queen's castle in London._

I smirked down at her because her thoughts, as always, were amusing to me when she got in moods like this. But I gently shook my head. I wanted to have a clear head while we were in here.

_Okay, okay. I'll be good. Even if that is booooooring._

I was about to say something sarcastic, but Moody interrupted by moving and walking over to the blackboard he had next to his desk. He swished his wand, and the chalk flew up to write his name at the top.

Moody spun back around to face us, an impressive scowl on his face, made all the more impressive because of the scars.

"My name is Alistair Moody. Ex-Auror. Ministry malcontent and your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?"

Silence reigned over the class. Not one person raised their hand to ask a question.

"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a more practical approach. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something if you have no idea what it looks like. Who can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?"

Bella raised her hand, along with a few others in the classroom.

"Miss Swan. You Charlie Swan's daughter?"

"Yes, sir. There are three, sir."

"And they are so named?"

"Because they are unforgivable," Hermione answered next because Moody had gone back to the blackboard to write what was being said. "Use of any one of them will …"

"Will earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban," Moody growled. He walked around the classroom, finally coming close enough to me. "The Ministry believes you are too young to see what these can do. I say different. You need to know what you're up against. You need to be prepared. And you need to find another place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnegan!"

The whole class gasped and turned to look at Seamus, only to see that he had, in fact, been about to put his chewing gum under the desk.

"The old codger shouldn't be able to see out of the back of his head," Seamus whispered.

_Ooooh, he shouldn't have said that._ Bella closed her eyes and shook her head. _Any luck yet?_

I nodded just as Moody turned and flung his piece of chalk in Seamus's direction over the heads of the students.

"Or hear across classrooms!" Moody almost shouted. "So," he growled, pulling out his wand and making his way over to some glass jars on his table. "Which curse shall we see first?"

Once he'd coaxed a strange-looking spider from one of the jars, he enlarged it and stood in front of the table Ginny and Hermione were sitting at. "Weasley!" he barked.

"Yes, sir?"

"Stand." He didn't speak again until Ginny was on her feet. "Give us a curse."

"Um, I … uh … heard my dad talk about one once." Moody looked at her, intrigued, with his one normal eye. I kept trying to hear something, anything, from him but couldn't. "The … uh … the Imperious Curse."

Moody nodded excitedly. "Yes, your dad would know all about that one," he said cryptically. "Gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why."

Moody held his hand out in front of Ginny, the one with the spider on it, and pointed his wand down at the poor insect. I had a feeling this wasn't going to end well for the spider. When he was ready, he cast the spell for all of us to hear. "Imperio."

A yellow-green light shot out of the end of his wand, hitting the spider in the middle of its back. Then with a flick of his wand, the spider leapt from his hand and landed on the first desk in front of him. Bella and I watched in stunned silence as he made the spider jump from one person to the next. Joining in on the laughter that burst out around the classroom as the children laughed at the reactions people were giving off at having a spider land on their arm, their head, or even their faces.

_He sounds …_

"Psychotic," I finished for Bella. "I don't think someone paranoid would sound quite so …"

"Evil," Bella whispered. _Something isn't right._

Far from it. That was when I heard it. Something that didn't belong. Something that sounded similar but different at the same time. It was small, quiet, and kinda slurred, but I heard it all the same.

_Eeddwarrrd. Hellllp meeee._

I startled because the only thoughts in the class I couldn't hear were Moody's. And he didn't look like he was thinking anything of the sort—he was still having too much fun torturing the students with the spider. I looked for the thoughts, only to find them not making any sense. I looked through the person, only to find complete blackness.

How did they know about me? And who were they?

"What should I have her do next?" Moody here in the classroom laughed out. "Have her jump out the window?" He flicked his wand, causing the spider to run into the window, only to drop her until she hovered over a bucket of water. "Drown herself?"

The class had gone quiet again. The quiet where you can hear every breath. Where every thought was somehow muffled. Moody brought the spider back over to his hand.

"Total control. That is what that curse gives the person using it. There is a way to fight it, and I will be teaching you how, but not everyone can do it. It takes real character to stop that one. Scores of witches and wizards claim they only did you-know-who's bidding because he forced them to under the Imperious Curse. But here's the problem. How do we sort out the liars?"

Professor Moody walked around the class yet again, this time stopping in front of Neville's desk. I wasn't sure, but this seemed almost planned. Like he meant for these curses to be displayed in front of these people. He coaxed several hands into the air to answer his question, but he didn't seem content with anyone. It wasn't until Neville had his hand in the air that he stopped.

"Longbottom, is it?" Neville nodded ever so slightly. "Come on, up. Professor Sprout says you have an aptitude for Herbology."

Neville nodded again. I could see he wasn't sure what to say to that, so he answered Moody's first question. "Th-there's the … um … Cruciatus Curse."

"Correct, correct," Moody said excitedly, placing the spider down on Neville's desk. Neville stepped to the other side of his desk so the rest of the class could see. Not that he wanted to. "The torture curse." Moody raised his wand again. "Crucio."

A short red light shot out of the wand, and almost immediately, the poor spider—or whatever it was because I wasn't so sure anymore—started writhing in pain and letting out high-pitched squeaks. The longer Moody let it go on, the worse it sounded.

But what was worse was the look on Neville's face. His parents had been tortured—by way of the Cruciatus Curse—by none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rodolphus, his brother Rabastan (who we had encountered last year and was now residing in the hospital wing without a soul), and someone else (I had no idea who). So the longer the torture of the insect went on, the more it affected Neville, making him cringe away.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted when it seemed Moody didn't want to stop. Bella and I both had the thought that he seemed to be enjoying torturing the insect. "Can't you see it's bothering him?"

Moody jerked out of whatever trance he'd fallen into, snapping his head up to look at Hermione, then Neville. He pulled back his wand, letting the creature fall to the table in relief. Anyone close enough could see its body moving as it panted, trying to get its heart rate back to normal.

"Pain," he whispered. "You didn't need knives or screws if you knew that curse. It was very popular once."

Moody coughed, picking up the spider and walking over to Hermione's desk, which was right next to Harry.

_This is too deliberate. I don't like this at all,_ Bella thought, watching him closely.

"Me either. We have to talk after this."

_Got it._

"Perhaps, Miss Granger, you could give us the last unforgivable curse?"

Hermione shook her head. I could see that she didn't want to. She didn't want to put that image inside Harry's head. None of us did.

"No? The killing curse." Moody raised his wand one last time and pointed it at the insect. With an "Avada Kedavra" and a flash of green light, the insect fell flat on its back with its legs curling in on itself.

"Not nice, this one. No counter curse and no blocking it. There has only ever been one person to survive this curse, and he's sitting, right here, in this room." Moody put his wand away and pulled out the flask he had when we saw him for the first time in the Great Hall. "Now, if there is no counter-curse for these, why am I showing you? Because you need to know! Not only what you are up against but how to avoid it. Mostly, that takes constant vigilance!" Moody said loudly. "Now, take notes!"

For the rest of the lesson, we took notes on the three unforgivable curses. The class stayed silent, as did the thoughts I had heard, asking me for help. That was until we were about to walk out the door.

All I heard that time was _hhheelllp meee._

Conversations broke out amongst the students as they made their way to the Great Hall. Most of them not taking any of it seriously and thinking that it was all some big presentation. Granted those who had listened and paid attention to my talk the other day were looking at that lesson as more of a warning, which was a good thing. That was until someone said something … appreciative of the Cruciatus Curse, and Neville froze in his tracks to stare out the window where it was raining.

"Neville?" Bella asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I wonder what's for dinner," he said airily, like he wasn't even aware of what was going on.

"Are you sure?" This time it was Hermione.

"Yeah. That was an interesting lesson, wasn't it?"

All of our friends looked at me with questions in their eyes, and thoughts. I could only shrug because he wasn't really thinking about anything. I was about to ask him a question when the distinctive thumping gait of Moody came from behind us. He pushed his way through our group and dropped a heavy hand on Neville's shoulder.

"Come along, son. We can have some tea."

Bella and I could see that it was the last thing Neville wanted to do, but before we could think up an argument, Neville nodded and turned to follow Moody back to his classroom.

I twined my fingers with Bella's and pulled slightly on her arm when she went to follow the others to the Great Hall. She looked up at me and realized that we were going to talk right now. Hermione, Ginny, and Harry looked over their shoulders at us, wondering why we weren't following them.

"Go ahead, guys. We'll catch up," I told them. Once they nodded and walked off, talking about the lesson, I pulled Bella into an empty classroom.

"What happened, Edward? What did you hear?"

"Noticed that, did you?" Bella nodded. "I heard a voice. One that didn't belong to anyone in that classroom."

"Again? It wasn't Moody?"

"Yeah, again," I said, pacing. "And no, it definitely wasn't Moody. It didn't come from his direction and didn't sound like him either. There were similarities, but they weren't the same."

Bella pulled herself up onto a desk and thought about what I had said. "Okay, well, let's look at this logically. You said it didn't come from the direction of Moody. Where was he when the thoughts appeared?"

"He was standing over to the left of the classroom. It was when he had control of the spider."

"Good, that's good. Where did the thoughts come from then? What direction?"

I stopped pacing and spun to face the front of the room we were in. I placed everyone where they had been during the lesson, and then traced the thoughts I had heard. "They came from the front of the room, more in the direction of the stairs that led to Moody's office."

Bella nodded. "What did it say?"

I looked at her before I dropped down to my knees, placing my head on her lap. "It asked me for help. Me specifically. The thoughts, though, they were slurred. They do need help."

"Then we'll find time to give it to them. I promise," Bella swore, running her fingers through my hair. "Did you find out what was in that flask?"

"Yeah. Moody isn't Moody, Bella. He's drinking Polyjuice Potion."

~*~UHS~*~

* * *

**So ... who is Moody? Those who have read, or seen the Harry Potter movies might know, but for those who haven't - who do you think it is?**

**See you in a fortnight!**


	8. Chapter Seven - Arriving Visitors

**Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good fortnight. It's nice not having to be at school so much. I've caught up on a few fics, been able to write a little, and also to sleep more comfortably. It's nice having a little more time to myself! I hope all of you get that time too.**

**I couldn't have done this without my kickass team, Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson. I truly don't believe this story wouldn't be as good as it is without them. Thank you, ladies.**

**JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer own Harry Potter and Twilight, I am just a fan.**

**See me at the bottom ...**

* * *

**Chapter Seven – Arriving Visitors**

"What?" Bella whispered in shock. "Then who the hell is he?"

"I don't know, but I can tell you that the person who sent up the dark mark at the World Cup smelled exactly the same." I shook my head. I had absolutely no idea who it could be.

Bella ran her fingers through my hair. The implications running through her head at an alarming speed. "Should we tell Dumbledore?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Last time he had us keep an eye on the situation. I think that's the best course of action. Try to figure out who he is."

"And how to pinpoint where that voice is coming from and try to help them. Keep this to ourselves?"

"Yeah, let's not involve the others until we know a little more about what's going on." I stood from my kneeling position and reached out for Bella's hand. "Time to eat. Come on; let's not dwell on this now."

"Okay." Bella sighed as she slipped down from the table. "So, how was Arithmancy?"

We spoke about how much I enjoyed going to the class over learning how to do it all myself, and the fact that I could ask more questions this way. We continued to talk all the way to the Great Hall where we joined the others for lunch.

After lunch, Hermione and I were the only ones who didn't have a class. It was our day for having a free period.

"Edward, before you run off to do something, can I have a word?" Hermione asked quietly after she had tugged on my arm to grab my attention.

I frowned at her quiet demeanor. "Of course. Where?"

"Um … can we go upstairs?"

I nodded and held out my arm for Hermione. I couldn't say that I wasn't worried about her, but I knew this was a step for her telling me what was wrong. Instead of taking her to the Common Room, we kept going until we reached the tapestry of the trolls doing ballet, and I opened up the Room of Requirement.

I sat down on a chair facing Hermione, leaned forward, and placed my elbows on my knees. "What's up, sis?"

"You know what I've been up to, yes?"

I nodded.

"I need your help. There isn't much in the library about how the house elves got into the position that they're in. In fact, there isn't anything at all. How can I learn about it if I can't find anything?"

I waved my hands around. "Why don't you ask the room if it has anything? This place is probably your best asset because trying to get into the Ministry archives might be hard."

"Oh, God." Hermione face-palmed. "I can't believe I hadn't thought of that. Can I … can you … will you?"

"What, Hermione? There's no need to be shy now—we're family. Ask and you shall find out."

"I want to start a group to help, house elves mostly, but maybe other creatures, as well. But I'm going to need help. Would you help me?"

I smiled, silently asking the Room of Requirement for books on the house elves and their agreement with the magical community. "I'd love to."

"Yay!" Hermione clapped in a manner very unlike her, which caused me to chuckle. For the rest of our free lesson, we read through several of the books on house elves. There was a lot of information, a lot of it conflicting, but most of it useful.

It wouldn't take us long to find what we were looking for. We also came up with a name for our group. It wasn't pretty, but I was sure we would do great things.

S.P.E.W. – Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare.

Before we walked out of the Room of Requirement, I suggested that it might be a good idea to have a talk with the elves in the kitchen and get some ideas on what they would want, if they were in a position where their safety was in question. Hermione agreed that it was definitely a good idea.

We'd be making that trip to the kitchens soon, when we had the time.

~*~UHS~*~

On the morning of the thirteenth of September, I waited, not so patiently, for my birthday girl to come down. I'd been anxiously waiting for this day since I started to organize her present. I couldn't wait to show her.

I was thankful she'd had a pleasant night's sleep. No bad dreams—no dreams whatsoever. And Kreacher had been able to bring up a small cake in the wee hours of the morning. Just big enough for the two of us.

I was acutely tuned in to Bella, and as such, the moment she woke up, my stomach fluttered with the feelings of a million butterflies. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something felt different. I knew Bella was turning fourteen. Bella had started puberty in the last year and had gone from a preteen to a young woman. But this … this felt different.

"Morning, Teddy," Bella whispered as she stepped off the last step and into the Common Room. I smiled, hearing my old name come from her. Over the summer, we'd decided to call each other our normal names and keep our nicknames for each other only.

"Morning, Isa." I held my arms out to her. "Happy birthday, beautiful girl."

"Thank you." Bella snuggled up under my chin. She hugged me as tight as she could.

I buried my nose into her hair, only to have to hold in a moan of pleasure. It struck me why things had felt different, today of all days. Bella's scent hand changed for the first time.

My little girl was no longer a little girl. Bella truly was a young woman. A stunning one at that. And no matter how much I longed to kiss her on the mouth, even as innocently as I knew it had to be—for at least another year, I would wait until she was ready. Bella would have to make the first move.

"Sleep well?" Bella nodded against my chest. "Want some cake first, or do you want your present?"

Bella froze, well her body did, though her mind started going a hundred miles an hour. I had just offered her two of her favorite things, sweets and gifts, and asked her to pick which one she wanted first. I couldn't help but chuckle when she kept flip flopping between the two.

"Shut up, Teddy." Bella giggled. "That wasn't nice. But I think I want my present first."

"Okay, okay." I held up my hands, backing away, as Bella reached out to slap me. "It's in here." I indicated my chest that was already open and awaiting us to enter.

I watched as Bella frowned and counted the locks that were open. "But that's your potions room."

"It is. But I've changed things. Let me go in first, okay?"

Bella nodded, so I hitched my left leg over the edge and sat there while I swung my other leg over.

"See you at the bottom," I said before I dropped into my trunk without using the ladder. "When you're ready, Bella."

It didn't take long for her to drop down onto the bottom of my trunk and take a look around. Bella hadn't been in this part much because it was usually where I did my potions work when we were away from home. I watched as she inspected every nook and cranny, including flipping through the potions book her dad had left behind when he had gone to chase after Fenrir Greyback. The mission he went on when he was killed.

"What's the door for? That wasn't here the last time I visited this space." The door in question had a small yellow ribbon tied around the door handle.

I shrugged, putting my hands in my front pockets. "Why don't you open it and have a look?"

To tell the truth, I was nervous. I was more nervous about this present than I had ever been about anything before. I wasn't even this nervous giving her my mother's diamond heart necklace last year. I couldn't tell you why, except that it felt more personal than any others. This was something she enjoyed—her laboratory at home. She enjoyed creating new things for the wizarding world. And Bella had never really had a place to do that while we were here at Hogwarts. She worked wherever she had space. Now, I was giving her that, and I was hoping she would want to work down here in my trunk next door to me.

I held my breath as she reached out to twist the door handle and let the door swing open to reveal an almost exact replica of her laboratory at home.

"Oh, Edward." I heard her sniffle. I couldn't stand back and watch anymore. Whenever Bella cried—and that wasn't often—I had to hold her. Do whatever it took to comfort her. I put my hands around her stomach from behind and rested my head on her shoulder.

"Are these happy tears? Do you like it?" I had to ask because her mind was a mess of emotions and thoughts, so much so that I couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Bella sniffled again, lacing her fingers with mine. "I love it. This has to be one of the best presents you've given me. It means the world to me that you would share your space with me like this. And the fact that you've built me a laboratory-away-from-home is sooo sweet."

I kissed the side of her head. "I'm glad you like it. I even managed to put a few of the things we bought in the states into that cupboard over there, including the bulletproof vest you wanted to work on. This way, you'll be able to test your spells without getting into trouble for casting them outside of the classroom."

"Thank you," Bella breathed as she spun around in my arms. She looked up at me as her hands drifted from my wrists, up my arms, and looped around behind my neck. Seeing as she was still nearly a foot shorter than me, Bella stepped up on her tiptoes. I closed my eyes as she leaned in and left my most spine-tingling kiss to date right there on the very corner of my mouth. I felt about ten feet tall.

"It's changed, hasn't it?" Bella whispered, staring into my eyes.

I nodded. "But I promise you, Bella, I will wait until you are ready. Do not feel pressured in anyway just because we know your scent has changed. You've only just turned fourteen. I won't push you for more than what you are ready to give."

"I know that. Although, I can't say I haven't thought about it before."

I kissed her forehead. "I know. And I have too. But for now, how about some cake?"

"Sounds good." Bella beamed, leading me out of her laboratory and out of the trunk only to be surprised by all of our friends, including Luna, shouting "surprise".

"Oh, my merlin!" Bella clutched her hands at her chest before she laughed. "You guys!"

I chuckled, then joined in the small party we were having. It was going to be a great start to the day.

~*~UHS~*~

Professor Moody was waiting, somewhat patiently, when we entered the class for our next DADA lesson. He was an impatient man. Not someone I would have thought could make a good teacher, but so far, everyone has been enjoying his lessons regardless of the fact that he was very strange.

"Come in, come in. Lot's to do today." Moody's eye rolled around. "Although, you two will have to sit out. Over there. I want you two to take notes on what we do today. See if you can pinpoint the feelings of being under the Imperious Curse. You two will have a written assessment instead." Moody pointed at our usual table, which was the only one left out. Only it was facing the room instead of his desk.

Bella and I sat down at our table, pulling out our notebooks and pens, while Moody had the other children stand in a line.

_Anything yet?_ Bella asked when she reached down to get something else from her bag.

"Not yet," I answered, looking around the room. I hadn't had a decent look the last time I was in here because I was so distracted by the lesson Moody was giving. But as I looked around this time, I noticed how many jars with strange creatures he had in this room. To be honest, it was just this side of creepy.

For the next hour, Professor Moody placed all the students under the Imperious Curse, most of them being unable to fight it. Bella and I paid close attention. We wanted to be able to tell who was under a curse, and who wasn't, before we had to fight anyone.

_Their faces blank out,_ Bella mused, making a notation in her book. _Their eyes glaze over, much like Alice's do when she's having a vision._

"They also gain a white film over their irises," I murmured as I wrote down Bella's observations and added my own.

_What about their thoughts?_

"Blank. Well, no, that's not true. They feel wonderful, happy, almost like they're floating. Their thoughts are worry free. Almost like there's nothing going on in their lives that should dominate those thoughts."

_I can see why people didn't fight that feeling. In such a time as turbulent as war, it's something anyone would have wanted to feel._

"It's a feeling that many, many drug users in the muggle world try to recreate. A way to escape life."

_Drugs? Oh, I saw those on TV at Emmett's house. They usually snort them up their nose._

I chuckled. "Yeah, those …" My thoughts trailed off as another set of thoughts finally made themselves clear.

_Edwarrrd … Dumbledore told me … help me … _

"Edward?" Bella whispered. "What do you hear?"

"The voice is back. He knows what I can do. Professor Dumbledore told him. He's asking for help."

_Help me …_

_Then find him._ Bella's thoughts stuttered at the end of her sentence, like she wanted to say something else. When I looked over to her, she waved her hand. She hadn't closed her thoughts but she was holding something back. _Just find him. It's something I need to sort out on my own._

I nodded, knowing she'd talk to me if she needed me. We'd moved past keeping things to ourselves, at least when it was detrimental. I tuned into the thoughts that were still asking for help.

I had just located where I thought the calls for help were coming from when I was scared out of my wits by none other than Bella.

"Woohoo! Go, Harry!" she was cheering and clapping from beside me.

"What? What happened?" I asked, opening my eyes. I looked over to Harry, only to see him on his hands and knees, grimacing in pain.

"He broke the Imperious Curse!" Bella cheered again.

I was about to get up to help Harry because I could see he had done some serious damage, but Moody waved his wand. Harry was able to stand—albeit a little wobbly—and made his way to the back of the line, waving us off.

The thoughts were quiet for a while so I was able to watch as Neville was another student in the class able to break the curse. I shook my head in awe. These students, our friends, were going to be very powerful witches and wizards in their own right. I was so happy for them.

_Help me … Edward …_

I looked up at the sound of the voice, yet again, calling out. There, found him.

"He's in Moody's office," I whispered to Bella just as the bell rang.

_Then the next step is to get in there and find him,_ Bella thought, putting her things in her bag. _After that, we give him the help he needs and find out what—and or who—he is._

I stood, taking Bella's bag from her. "And then, maybe, he can help us figure out who Moody really is."

~*~UHS~*~

The Common Room was quiet when I walked through the portrait one afternoon. The amount of homework they were giving us was astronomical. Even Jasper had gotten in on the act, giving us weekly essays on the Goblin Wars. I snorted. He could have picked a more interesting war.

I found all of my friends sprawled out in different sections, all working on something for class. The only ones who were talking were Fred and George, and Neville and Harry. Fred and George were complaining about how much work they were doing, at least until Hermione turned around to tell them to shut up. That the only reason they had so much was because they were studying for their OWLs. Neville and Harry were talking because they were comparing their astronomical charts for Divination. I couldn't help but chuckle because they were making most of it up, and having fun, because they were predicting the most bizarre things to happen.

Bella was reading for Jasper's class, but she was waiting on the book I had gone to collect from the library. Ginny was working on her Muggle Studies assignment from Esme while Hermione was doing some calculation for Arithmancy. I was lucky due to the fact that I had the nighttime to get a lot of my homework done while everyone was sleeping.

I sat down and pulled my potions work toward me. This was the class I was really going to have to behave in. This year, Snape seemed more aggravated than usual. Although, he was keeping that under wraps, for now. He was also closing his thoughts off on the odd occasion, which, of course, made me want to pay that much more attention to him. Half of his thoughts weren't making any sense. He would occasionally think about another gentleman—long beard, fur coat, Russian-type accent—but not with much more clarity than that. I couldn't make out who he was because he never thought his name.

But the thing that pissed me off the most about the start of this semester with Snape was that he stood at the front of the classroom, on our first lesson, and told us that we would be working on our antidote potions. That we had to make sure they were good because he was going to choose one of us at random—pfft, he'd already chosen Harry—and poison us just before Christmas. If our antidotes worked, we passed; if not, well, I guess you could guess.

He wouldn't even tell us with what he was going to poison the unlucky person with, so with that, we were supposed to pick an antidote and pray for the best. Bella was going to be a smart ass and instead of making a potion—or on top of making a potion—she was going to have a bezoar on hand. Bella didn't want to take anything for granted.

I had decided to do something completely new. There were many, many different potions for all the many different poisons, and a bezoar was a handy substitute to have on you to cure poisons. What I planned to do was make a potion out of a bezoar that would cure all manner of poisons. Of course, I knew there was an antidote for common poisons, but I wanted this one to work on more than just common poisons. I planned to make it strong enough that you'd only need a few drops to cure what ailed you, so that a potion would last much longer. You'd only need to have one bottle of the potion, instead of several bezoars.

I just hoped that would work.

"What are you reading, Neville?" Ginny asked, pulling my attention back to the room.

"Huh?" Neville looked up. "Oh. You remember our first lesson with Moody and what happened?" We all nodded to his question. "After he took me back to his office for coffee, we started talking about Herbology and what I loved about it. He went into this other room, behind a curtain, and came back out with this book."

When he held it up, I was about to read the front of it. _Magical Mediterranean Water Plants and their Properties._

I smiled at him while the others congratulated him on getting the attention of one of the most interesting professor we'd had on staff since we started. But I was paying more attention to Neville's thoughts. Due to the fact that he had been in Moody's office, I was able to get a good look at the layout. I could see all manner of interesting instruments, including a rather large oval mirror that had several cloudy shapes moving around within the pane. There was also a large metal trunk standing in the corner by the fireplace and a smaller table and chairs. And of course, the other room, which was behind a curtain.

When I got into that office, I wanted to check out what was in that curtained room.

"Before we all run off to bed, I've got something for you," Hermione started. "Or Edward and I have something for you."

I smiled as Hermione pulled out a small box. Every time we'd had a free period when we weren't working on the pile of homework that got bigger by the day, we'd been researching how the elves ended up in their current predicament. The Room of Requirement had been a wealth of information; it had also provided a copy of the document the original elves signed way back when.

We'd managed to get into the kitchens to talk to the elves and even caught up with Winky and Dobby. The elves were hesitant to answer our questions at first but soon realized we didn't want them to get paid—like Dobby and Pokey, who were a little like outcasts—we just wanted to make sure they had better working conditions. They knew that some of their brethren weren't treated as well as they were. Dobby and Winky being proof of that.

Poor Winky, while doing better physically, was still rather emotional about what had happened with Mr. Crouch. I was able to garner from her thoughts that she was still not wanting to talk about what had happened. I was going to take Bella down there one day to see if her demeanor and siren powers would be able to work their magic on her.

"Edward and I have done a lot of research over the last few weeks into the house elves and their predicament. We found out that, yes, the house elves wanted to work for free. Yes, they enjoy the work they do, but—and I want to stress this—one of the stipulations was that they were to be treated with respect at all times. Somehow, this fact has been lost or forgotten over time." Hermione had placed the box on the table in front of her.

"Was it ever enforced?" Bella asked, leaning forward.

"It was," I answered. "Once upon a time. But with the emergence of dark magic many centuries ago and chasing down dark wizards, it fell by the wayside. People started taking out their anger at the world on the ones closest to them. Hunting what they perceived as evil became more important than say"—I waved my hand around—"prosecuting someone who treated badly, or hit, a house elf or other creature. It got left for so long that it became common practice for some families."

Several of our group shook their heads, but it was Ginny who spoke up. "That's terrible."

Hermione agreed. "It is, but we can do something about it. Edward and I have started a group that is going to be about protecting the rights of other magical beings, but we're starting with house elves. So it's called the Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare or S.P.E.W."

"Great! What is it you're about, and how can we help?" Fred and George asked together. They'd gotten a harsh reality check over the summer at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Our short-term goals are to get the house elves fair working conditions and starting to prosecute those who treat them badly again. Our long-term ones will be to change the law about non-wand-use and to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures—they are shockingly under-represented." Hermione beamed at everyone. "I think the first thing we need to do is recruit members to our cause. For two sickles, they can become a member and purchase a badge. That money will then fund our leaflet campaign. Who wants to join?"

I laughed as every single one of our friends found two sickles and handed them over to Hermione. Hermione couldn't believe they were all willing to support what was, essentially, her baby. Bella congratulated her on a job well done. Hermione tried to hand off some of the praise to me, but I told her it was all her idea, and I was just there to help. I even handed her two sickles of my own for a badge.

_We should give some of the information you found to Sirius, Shane, and Remus. People need to know; they need to remember,_ Bella thought, coming over to stand with me, wrapping an arm around my middle.

I kissed the top of her head. "We will. One day. Let Hermione bask in her triumph for now. I offered to pay for the leaflets, but she wanted to do this all on her own. Maybe we can make a donation to the cause?"

_Or Mum and Dad can?_

"That's a good idea. We'll send a letter home letting them know. Secretly."

Bella giggled. _I like how you think._

Once we were done purchasing our badges and deciding who would do what, like treasurer or secretary, we started a plan of attack. That was until the alarm on my watch went off. Bella sighed, reaching for one of the extra charms books while I picked up a different one.

"Time to go!" Bella cheered sarcastically.

I laughed as I heard groans from Harry, Neville, Hermione, and Ginny. But we all trudged over to the portrait to head down to Hagrid's cabin. After a few lessons on trying to get them to eat anything, Hagrid had decided that on opposite nights, the Slytherins and the Gryffindors would trade off on observing our projects for this year. To make things fair, we had three nights a week each. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's, the Gryffindors looked after the Skrewts, and Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday's, they were observed by the Slytherins. You should have heard the Slytherins—but especially Pansy Parkinson—kick up such a fuss about observing them in the evenings. Anyone would have thought Hagrid was asking them to commit murder. When she wouldn't back down, Hagrid told her he'd take a leaf out of Moody's book because, who knew, ferrets might make good snacks.

They were certainly a lot quieter than Pansy would be.

"Think we'll ever figure out what they eat, besides each other?" Harry asked as we walked out the large doors at the front of the castle.

"We will." Bella nodded with certainty.

Hermione looked over at Bella with surprise. "And how do you know?"

Bella smirked. "Because I've decided to order in a whole bunch of foods for us to try tonight. And not just the gross things Hagrid has been trying. I've got a whole range of foods from fruits and vegetables to all kinds of meat. But I think they're going to like seafood."

"Because of the smell, right?" I asked as we stepped onto the stone steps that led down to Hagrid's cabin and the Skrewts behind it.

"Right." Bella nodded. "The smell has gotten less so since we've been working with them. Something that usually smells that strongly of something means that it's coming from their pores. Like after a long night eating sweets or oily junk food. You can smell it all over you the next day."

"Huh. So wouldn't they then want rotten seafood?" Neville pointed out.

"That's why if they don't like it fresh, we can leave it out for a few days. We'll sort it out." Bella smiled.

The rest of our Gryffindor class filtered down to Hagrid's cabin from wherever they'd been studying, and we all took seats around the secure paddock that Hagrid had set up.

Ginny took a seat not far from us. "So why did you bring those books if we're supposed to be observing?"

Bella snorted. "Because it doesn't take all of us to observe, nor do we all need to watch at the same time. This gives us extra time to read the summoning charms Professor Flitwick wants us to learn."

"Smart." Ginny sighed. "Wish I'd thought of it."

I smirked. "You could always practice summoning it." I laughed at the exasperated look on her face. "All right, all right. I'll do it for you." I pointed my wand at Gryffindor Tower and summoned the book Ginny wanted to read. A minute or so later, the book landed in my lap, so I handed it over with a smile. "You'll not learn them if you don't practice them. But to do that, you need to read about them. Enjoy."

"Thank you, Edward."

"No worries, Ginny. We're all here to help."

~*~UHS~*~

A few days later, we were coming back in from our latest Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Thanks to Bella, we'd found out that the Skrewts liked crabmeat. Hagrid had been so proud of her because she had taken the initiative to step outside the usual box we fed from.

Anyway, we came in through the doors to the foyer to see a large crowd standing around reading a sign that had been posted. Thanks to my height, I was able to read what the others couldn't.

"What does it say, Edward?" Bella asked, standing on her tiptoes.

I smirked down at her and the others before reading it out loud.

Triwizard Tournament

_The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving_

_At 6 o'clock on the 30__th__ of October._

_Lessons will end half an hour early. Students will return their bags_

_And books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle_

_To greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast._

"Oooh, yay! They'll be here in a week." Bella clapped. "I'm so looking forward to the tournament."

"Me too. Although I can certainly understand why it got cancelled. Between the rather high death toll and a Cockatrice going on a rampage through the last school, I would have cancelled it also."

"So why now?" Harry asked. "What makes it so important this year?"

I shrugged. I had no idea, and nothing I'd read or found could tell me why.

"Did you see?" Luna ran up to us excitedly. "They'll be here soon. Do you think they'll be nice?"

Bella wrinkled her nose. "Don't count on the Beauxbatons being nice. They're Veela after all. Just know that I will rip every damn hair out of their heads if they try anything with Edward."

"I'm sure they'll leave him alone. They'll see that you're mated, after all," Hermione said, wrapping her arm around Bella's shoulders. "I'm sure the girls will be nice. And the students from Durmstrang as well."

"At least, we'll get out of potions early. Professor Snape is going to hate that." Neville snickered.

I snorted as I pulled on Bella's hand, leading everyone into the Great Hall. "I'm sure he'll dock us points just because we _have _to leave early. It's something he would do."

We all laughed. That was until we stood face-to-face with the very man himself.

"Something funny, _Masen_."

"Yeah, I find lot's funny, _sir_."

"Planning to enter the tournament, _Masen_?"

"No." I could see that I'd rattled him. In fact, his mouth dropped open. "I plan on winning the tournament. I will bring Hogwarts the glory. I will be named Triwizard Champion. And there is not a damn thing you can do about it, _sir._"

Snape actually growled at me. Not as impressively as I could, but still, the sentiment was there. "If I could take points this year I would. Maybe I'll just store up your infractions and take them from you next year."

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would love to hear all about it. Especially since Pokey is still auditing your lessons, and you need a valid reason for not only detentions, but points, too." I leaned in to whisper to Snape. "You may be a teacher here, and I'll call you sir in deference to that, but make no mistake, I don't respect you. I can't. You are a bully, and I cannot respect someone who bullies. Especially when you are a fully grown adult bullying children. Have a good evening, _sir_."

"Do you really think that was a good idea, Edward? Antagonizing him like that?" Bella asked as we took a seat at the Gryffindor table.

"He thinks he can get away with that with me. He needed to know I wasn't going to put up with it anymore. I don't want to slip up about my mind reading because he'll close his mind to me, and that is the last thing I want. I can't keep an eye on him if he closes his mind off."

"I get that. I do. But what about the rest of what you said?"

"He needed to hear it, Bella. He needs to know that just because he is a teacher doesn't mean I'm going to respect him. Besides, he needs to remember that just because he looks physically older doesn't mean he is. I am his elder, and he absolutely hates that. I will use it to keep him in line whenever possible. And if I stop him bullying children in the process? Excellent." I shrugged, reaching for some food that had appeared on the table.

"Then, thank you, Edward," Harry said from the other side of the table before Bella could argue. "He has been, I wouldn't say, pleasant but better so far this year."

"Yeah, if you don't include threatening to poison us." Neville snorted.

"Well"—I sighed—"You can't win them all."

We all laughed and started eating dinner in earnest.

~*~UHS~*~

The following Friday, we were all pretty much useless when it came to our classes. The teachers were unable to keep our attention for long, and even when they could corral our attention, someone would break it with talk about how the delegates for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would arrive.

The only one who managed some semblance of a lesson was Snape. And that was only because most people in our class were afraid of him. I had made some remarkable progress with my potion made from bezoars using the original Antidote for Common Poisons potion. And Bella had finally settled on just making the Antidote for Common Poisons. She was going to add her own flair, but essentially, it would be just for the common poisons. She was playing a safe bet with Snape. Hoping that he would—if he went ahead with it—poison one of us with a common poison.

Once we'd been excused early, we all attempted to bolt up the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room, only to be stopped by Professor McGonagall on the steps of the moving staircase.

Professor McGonagall looked sternly down her nose at us before she cracked just the tiniest of smiles. "There is no need to be running. You have plenty of time to get to the tower and back down to meet our visitors. Please be more careful."

"Yes, Professor," we all sang before we, more sedately, made our way up the staircase. At least, until we were out of sight of our head of house.

It was funny how many of my friends attempted to race me up the stairs. They knew they wouldn't beat me. I didn't even have to pour on my speed even though I did. This was one of those occasions that I've come to enjoy since the Obscurial was removed. Just mindless fun. And I couldn't be happier.

The only one who had any chance to come close to my speed was Bella. But considering how excited I was, there was no chance she was going to catch me this day.

"Edward!" Bella laughed, calling out. "Wait for me!"

"No! Catch me if you can!"

It didn't take Bella and me long to overtake all of the students on the stairway, and then it was just us racing on the top levels. I'd managed to use my speed and strength to my advantage. Jumping and climbing the staircases when they weren't lined up, but it had slowed some of my progress. Even still, I made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady seconds before Bella did. Thanks, though, to my gentlemanly behavior of never hurrying a lady—unless I could help it—that was where Bella caught me.

"Tag, you're it!" Bella giggled.

The Fat Lady laughed as she opened up and let us through. By the time our friends caught up with us, we were sitting in my recliner, waiting for them.

"What took you so long?" I laughed because Fred and George flipped me the bird as they ran past to their dorm rooms.

Once everyone had placed their gear away, we walked back down to the front of the castle together, laughing and joking, just enjoying the break from classes. Professor Dumbledore was waiting for us when we all convened on the lawn.

"Thank you, everyone, for getting here in a timely manner. I know that it is starting to get colder outside, but we will be greeting them as a whole school. I want us to group together by our houses and stand together with our years. Youngest in the front, oldest in the back. Mr. Masen, you can just stand with Miss Swan."

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore."

For the next few moments, we all shuffled around, getting into position. Gryffindors were at one end with the Slytherins at the other. Obviously, Professor Dumbledore had heard of our recent skirmishes.

"Ugh, I'm so glad they're arriving today," Bella whispered from next to me.

I chuckled. "Why?"

"Don't get me wrong. I'm excited for everything that's coming. I'm just so tired of all the teachers being on edge, the cleaning this old castle has gone through, and everything else the last couple of weeks."

"You think that's gonna change now that they're here?" I asked. "The teachers are still going to be on edge, and they're going to want us to be on our best behavior."

Bella snorted. "Like that's going to happen."

Harry leaned over from Bella's other side. "So who do you think this impartial judge is going to be? Or the judges for the tasks?"

"The judges for the tasks will include the heads of house, plus a couple of other less biased judges," I answered without thinking. Everyone around me looked at me. I shrugged a little self-consciously. "I may have read up on the tournament. There was nothing on the impartial judge though. Whoever that is, it's being kept under wraps. It's not even written about."

"Why did the tournament stop?" Neville asked.

"The death toll did get extremely high. At the last tournament, the participants had to catch a cockatrice. Only instead of catching it, it went on a rampage and killed not only the student but injured several of the judges."

Hermione snorted. "So they stopped it not because of the death of the student but because the poor judges were hurt. That sounds about right. Who cares that students were dying? Let's stop because some self-important people were injured."

We all chuckled a little at that because Hermione was right. Plus it sounded like any government agency I'd ever heard of.

"Geez, it's getting cold," Ginny whined. "How much longer?"

I pulled my watch out and flipped it open. "It's just gone six. They shouldn't be long."

"How do you think they'll arrive? By train? By portkey?" Neville asked Harry.

Harry shook his head. "I doubt it. The Durmstrang School is too far away to come by train."

"And you can't apparate onto the grounds," Hermione argued.

"If it were me," I interrupted before a small argument broke out, "I'd want to make an appearance, a grand entrance, to prove that we were better than everyone else."

Our whole group fell silent, including Bella, which made me look over at them. They all had their mouths hanging open. "What? It's what I would do!"

Bella laughed. "Okay. Going with that theory, we should look for something spectacular."

We all started looking around, not only the grounds but the sky and the black lake. It took us a few minutes, but eventually, Bella found something. "There! In the sky!" She pointed to a small speck coming closer.

"Where?" Hermione and Ginny asked.

"Yeah, I can't see anything." Neville squinted, looking in the direction Bella was pointing.

"Don't worry, Bella. I see it."

Harry snorted a laugh. "Because we should all be so lucky to have vampire eyesight!"

"I can't help that!" I blew a raspberry at Harry over Bella's head. I looked back at the speck that was getting bigger by the second. I could see at great distances, but even at this point, all it looked like was a couple of wiggly lines moving up and down, being followed by something large and square.

It didn't take long for Bella and me to see that it was a really large, massive, powder blue carriage.

_Is that the size of your house back in Forks?_

"I have no idea, but it's huge!" I murmured so that nobody else could hear. I chuckled as several people around me were guessing what they were coming toward us in.

In fact, someone even called out the Tardis, confusing several of the magical students. Although, Professor Dumbledore let out a chuckle at that.

It didn't take long to see that the carriage was being pulled by twelve of the most beautiful, winged horses. After a few more minutes, I was able to see that they were Palomino's. And it wasn't just the carriage that was huge. So were the horses. If I had to guess, they were almost the size of elephants.

"Oh, they're so pretty!" Bella gushed from beside me.

"No. No, no, no, no!" I spun to look at her. "There is absolutely no room at home for one of those."

Bella laughed at the look on my face. She used her finger to place a cross over her heart. "I solemnly swear that I will go nowhere near them. I promise not to take one of them home. Besides, where would we put it?"

I could hear Emmett, Jasper, and Esme snickering from their place over with the rest of the teachers. Dumbledore had asked them all to stay behind to greet the delegates.

"Put what?" Neville, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all asked together.

"One of those." I pointed to the horses that could clearly be seen by the other students if the whispering was anything to go by.

"Whoa," All four of them whispered.

We watched in awe as this massive carriage and its horses flew through the air toward Hogwarts. Sometimes using the wind to carry it along, sometimes the horses flapped their giant wings to keep it steady, although, never very level considering its up/down motion.

I wondered if a plane would be more preferable to that kind of travel.

"What is Hagrid doing out there?" Harry said suddenly, drawing our attention to the large section of grass in front of us.

Hagrid was indeed standing there. In his hands were a set of red paddles.

"It looks like he's going to be an aircraft marshall," I answered Harry but looked over to see confused faces. "He's going to direct where whoever is driving that thing should set it down."

Everyone around me nodded then looked back toward the carriage. The whispers picked up when it seemed that the carriage wasn't slowing down on its approach. If I didn't have such keen eyesight, I would have thought it had picked up speed. The horses—that were gold and had large, round, red eyes—flew straight at Hagrid, causing him to leap out of the way at the last second. With hooves as large as dinner plates, they set down with an almighty crash, one after the other, exactly where Hagrid stood before. A moment later, the powder blue carriage landed with an almighty thump that made the ground shake, a few of the smaller students in the first row fell over with the movement. The carriage bounced, balancing on two wheels, before settling down and coming to a stop.

"Ah, the French have arrived, and on time too," Professor Dumbledore said, making his way forward to the large door, which was on the side of the carriage. The door held a coat of arms, much like the ones around Hogwarts. Only this one was a pair of wands, crossed and emitting three stars each.

The door opened slowly, a set of stairs emerging from the bottom of the carriage. I was still looking at the distance between the ground and the bottom of the carriage where the stairs were sticking out when a rather big foot, clad in a huge high heel, stepped out. I followed that foot up along a black silk-covered body—one that seemed to be as tall, if not taller than Hagrid—to a face that was olive-toned with dark eyes, dark hair, and a beaky nose. The size of the carriage made much more sense now.

Professor Dumbledore stepped forward and held out his hand. He pulled the lady's hand, which hung at his shoulder height, to his mouth, placing a kiss there while he stood on his tiptoes. "Madam Maxime, how lovely to see you again. Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Dumbly-dorr. I 'ope I find you well," Madam Maxime answered in a rather deep voice. One many around me found surprising. "My students." She waved her arm around behind her, reminiscent to a game show host, and took a step to the side.

Once Madam Maxime stepped aside, several female students, all in their late teens bar one, stepped out of the carriage. They were all dressed in blue silk uniforms, and almost immediately, they began to shiver from the cold. Some had wrapped scarves around their faces and necks, but not one of them had a coat or jacket on. I shook my head. I was so glad Bella was more practical than that.

_No … _Bella thought. _It can't be._

I looked down to see that Bella had a confused look on her face. I pulled her to me, comforting her as much as I could. "What is it, beautiful?"

_I think …_ Bella was staring at an admittedly beautiful young woman, standing with a girl of about ten years old.

They were all willowy with long blonde hair and blue eyes. These were what Veela looked like if the blonde genes won out. I could see how they would be considered beautiful, and how they could use those wiles to get what they want. But nobody, nobody held a candle to my girl. And none of them ever would.

"What do you think, Bella?"

_I think they're family. Can you see the resemblance to Renee?_

I looked over the girls Bella was staring at again. I suppose there could be some resemblance, but then there wasn't a lot of difference between any of the girls. They all were very similar, and their thoughts were just like all of the mean girls over the years.

"I suppose it's possible, but they all kind of look like her. Maybe see if she comes to you, instead of asking?"

"Yeah. If her family are anything like her, then I'm not sure I want to know them anyway."

I hugged Bella close to me again.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madam Maxime asked.

"He should be here any minute. Would you like to wait out here and greet him or warm up inside?" Professor Dumbledore was already leading the rather tall woman to the door by a hand held at his head level.

"Warm up, I think. But my 'orses need tending to."

Dumbledore indicated where Hagrid and Emmett were already wrangling the large horses. "Our Care of Magical Creatures professor Hagrid, and his assistant, will tend to them. He'll have no problem."

Madam Maxime looked at them both over her shoulder. I thought I might have detected a hint of appreciation in her thoughts toward Hagrid even though she found Emmett to be cute. "Can you please 'ave this 'agrid informed that 'e'll need a firm 'and, and they only drink single malt whiskey."

"It will be taken care of," Professor Dumbledore promised, leading the way into the foyer and the Great Hall beyond.

I could hear Emmett's thoughts spring to life over everyone else's. _How much whiskey will these horses drink? And do we have enough?_

It seemed even Emmett had managed to keep this tournament from me. Or maybe he found out when we did so that he couldn't spill the beans because, usually, it wasn't even his thoughts that were the problem. It was his mouth that he couldn't control.

Once Madam Maxime and her delegates from Beauxbatons were inside, the students of Hogwarts broke out into excited chatter. Some about the Beauxbatons, some about how they had arrived, but most were now trying to figure out how the Durmstrang people were going to arrive.

Apart from having new people—not just the first years—in the castle, I now had a name for the man Snape had been thinking about all this time. It seemed that he knew the headmaster of Durmstrang from a previous relationship—Igor Karkaroff was once a death eater. He certainly didn't suffer for his former life.

It was shit like this that made me mad and caused me to snort out loud.

_What, Edward?_

"Remember that picture I drew you a couple weeks ago?"

_Yeah, the guy Snape was thinking of._

"Yep." I spent the next couple of moments explaining to her who he was and what he was.

_Great. Another death eater; just what we need around here. How many do we have now?_

"Two confirmed."

_You think whoever Moody is, is a death eater?_ Bella looked up at me in shock.

"It wouldn't surprise me. Who else would want to get in here?" I rolled my eyes at the picture that popped into Bella's brain. "Apart from useless blonde reporters who would love to get the scoop."

Bella laughed. "I have a feeling we're going to encounter her this year. The Ministry would want to report on this tournament. Given how long it's been since it's been held."

"Good thing that someone else thought that way, too, and is moving to Hogsmeade as we speak."

"I'm not surprised you guys have already spoken about it." Bella shook her head with a small smile.

"I wouldn't be a good owner if I didn't stick my nose in every now and again. You should try it sometime." I poked my tongue out at Bella when she went to argue. Before we could continue our banter, we were interrupted by a rumbling and sucking noise.

As if we'd practiced it, every head swiveled—in a synchronized move—in the direction of the black lake. There the surface was interrupted by the really large bubbles that were rising to the surface only to pop when they got too big. The edge of the lake, which was usually calm, was being buffeted by waves splashing onto the muddy shore.

I looked out over the surface, which was bubbling. All of a sudden, a massive whirlpool appeared in the middle, like someone had pulled the plug in a bathtub, taking everyone by surprise. Out of the middle of the whirlpool came a lone pole, long and black, but as it continued to rise, I saw a crow's nest rise from the water. Following the crow's nest, the rest of the mast appeared and, finally, the skeletal remains of what looked to be a pirate ship.

I squinted. In fact, that looked like …

"Holy sh—izen houer!" Emmett blurted out in true Emmett style, causing the students to laugh at him and the teachers to glare, not that he cared. "Is that The Flying Dutchman?"

Professor Dumbledore laughed at Emmett, one of the few, as an anchor was dropped into the lake to hold it in place. "Indeed it is, Mr. McCarty. One of the few relics the magical community was able to recover. This was one that the Durmstrang School took control of."

I huffed a laugh, as did many of the other students around us.

_I don't get it, Edward. What is the Flying Dutchman?_

I watched as there was movement in the port holes down the side of the ship where the canons used to be housed. "Um … The Flying Dutchman is the famed ship that belonged to Davey Jones. He's supposed to be the one who ferries those whot die on the ocean across to the other side. It was supposed to be a myth …"

Harry laughed. "I don't know that anything is a myth in the wizarding world."

"No." I chuckled. "I guess not. I mean, there are dragons and hippogriffs and thunderbirds, for goodness sake. Why am I still surprised?"

"Don't know," Neville sang. "But if I'd come from the muggle world, I'd probably be in the same position. I know I think about it a lot when I learn about something from the muggle world."

We all laughed at Neville before we were interrupted by a dull thunk at the edge of the black lake. I looked over to see that a plank had been lowered from The Dutchman to the shore, and a man dressed in silver furs was making his way across. I looked around him to see that he was being followed by some of the bulkiest teenagers I had ever seen. Well, that was until I took a better look and saw that they might have been well built, but they were also dressed in some bulky furs and coats to keep warm. Obviously, the Durmstrangs were cold before they left.

"Albus! How are you, dear fellow? How are you?" Karkaroff asked as he embraced our headmaster.

"Wonderful, Igor. How was the trip over?"

"Easy, thank Merlin." Karkaroff was all silver haired with a beard down to his chest and a handlebar moustache to match. "Ah, Hogwarts, it's been a while."

Karkaroff looked up at our castle with what seemed like wistfulness, like he hadn't been here in a long while. After a moment, he turned back to Dumbledore with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. In fact, his whole friendly demeanor appeared rather forced. And if the earlier slip by Snape hadn't confirmed that Karkaroff had been a death eater, I would have suspected it, just because of the way he was behaving.

Karkaroff waved a hand around to the side of him. "Victor! Victor, come along. Into the warmth. You don't mind do you, Dumbledore? Victor has a slight head cold."

Professor Dumbledore looked over and smirked slightly at all of the Hogwarts students when he realized we had gotten quiet. That might have been because all of our mouths had fallen open. "Not at all, Igor. Come on in and take a seat."

Professor Dumbledore led the way into the castle through the very silent student body. He continued quietly chatting with the Durmstrang Headmaster.

The funny part of it all was the fact that the silence wasn't even interrupted by a student. No, it was Jasper—of all people—who did.

"Emmett! Oh, my God, did you see who that was?" Jasper asked, shaking Emmett by the shoulders. "It was Krum! Victor Krum from the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team!"

~*~UHS~*~

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**So much information in this chapter ... what did you think? And did you love the reaction of Jasper? It's not often we see him lose his cool.**

**See you all in a fortnight!**


	9. Chapter Eight - The Triwizard Champions

**Hello everyone from the East Coast of Australia. I'm on holiday but still managing to keep up with my schedule - even if the internet is a little crappy. Hope everyone had a good fortnight!**

**Thanks go to my wonderful team - prereader and idea extraordinaire, Pienuniek! And the best beta a writer could ask for, Sally Hopkinson. I'd be lost without either of you!**

**Twilight and Harry Potter are not mine, they belong to SM and JK. I can't thank them enough for writing them!**

**I'll let you get to it ...**

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**Chapter Eight ~ The Triwizard Champions**

We followed the Durmstrang students in, laughing at Jasper and Emmett, who were so excited that Viktor Krum of the Bulgarian Quidditch Team was here at school. I couldn't believe they were so excited about him being here.

Sure, the other students were. I looked them over as we walked past. The boys were all scrambling to find parchment and quills to get his autograph; the girls were looking around for makeup and lip gloss hoping to get his attention. It seemed even Hermione, Ginny, and Luna weren't immune to it either. Thank goodness, they weren't nearly as bad as the group standing by the doors, giggling.

If there was one thing I couldn't stand about high school students, it was when they stood around giggling when a boy they liked looked in their direction. On the plus side, it wasn't aimed in my direction. What was aimed my way, or more specifically Bella's, was an appreciative look from many of the Durmstrang students. I growled low in my throat—I didn't like that they were looking.

"Edward?" Bella asked as she took her seat next to me. "Everything okay?" Bella frowned. "And what's up with those girls?"

I pulled Bella next to me, leaned down, and nuzzled the top of her head while I eyed the boys who were still looking in her direction. "Those Durmstrangs will need to be taught a lesson about the fact that you're _mine_, Bella." I felt Bella shiver at my words. "And those girls are acting like any normal teenager when meeting someone famous. They all want to catch his attention."

"And the boys?"

"Are just impressed. Victor Krum is who they want to be when they grow up."

Bella nodded and looked up at me. "You know I will never want anyone else, but I know you have the right to defend our relationship, just like I did back in the first year. I love you, Edward. Before, now, and forever."

"I love you, too, Bella. Until they learn I might be overbearing." I kissed her forehead.

"I know. And I'm completely okay with it." Bella kissed the edge of my lips, but from the angle the Durmstrang boys were looking, it looked like she kissed me directly on the mouth.

When Bella had finished kissing me, I smiled at her before movement at the teachers' table caught my attention. Bella turned around to see what had pulled my attention from her. She tilted her head before looking back at me.

_I can see the need for the two chairs next to Professor Dumbledore's. They're for Madame Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff. But who are the other two for?_

I shrugged. "Maybe the other judges are joining us for the meal?"

_Certainly possible. That means we might find out about the impartial judge for the Tournament._

I kissed her forehead again, just because I could. "That would make sense. With having everyone in the same place, you only have to explain it once."

_Exactly._

We both looked up when our friends took their seats at the table. I had a good look around the hall to see that the Durmstrang students had taken seats at the Slytherin table after pulling off their furs. I could see they were fascinated by both the enchanted ceiling and the golden dishes on the tables. On the other hand, the Beauxbatons girls were still rugged up in their scarves, shivering while taking their seats at the Ravenclaw table. Bella wasn't very impressed with any of them, and neither was Hermione, for that matter.

"Why are you upset with them?" I asked, leaning around the back of Bella to ask.

"Look," Hermione growled. She nodded her head in the direction of Harry and Neville.

I looked over to see that they both were not only entranced with Victor Krum, but both were staring at the girls from Beauxbatons. I wondered if they were emitting their siren powers without thinking about it, due to their nerves, because Harry and Neville weren't the only boys who seemed to be mesmerized.

I kicked them under the table, getting their attention, just as all the students—Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang alike—took their seats at the house tables. Once we were all seated, the teachers entered from the side of the Great Hall. There were a few snickers when the girls from Beauxbatons stood upon Madame Maxime's entry to the hall. Obviously, this was something that happened in their school, and they were going to carry that on here.

Maxime's students stayed standing until their headmistress had taken her seat on the left side of Dumbledore's chair. Of the three headmasters, Dumbledore was the only one who didn't take a seat.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and, most importantly, our guests. We hope your stay at Hogwarts will be an enjoyable one."

There were a few derisive laughs that came from the French. Of course, the Hogwarts students wouldn't stand for their castle being disparaged and glared at those who scoffed.

"The tournament will officially be opened at the end of the meal. For now, I invite you to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

With the usual clap of his hands, the food appeared on the tables in front of us. But it wasn't just our usual fare from the kitchens. There were also several dishes from France and Bulgaria. Instead of reaching for the food, I picked up my goblet, which Kreacher had obviously prepared because it was full of dragon blood.

"You're not eating?" Harry asked when he noticed.

I shook my head. "I have something I need to go and do. Will you lot cover for me?"

Bella snorted. "Of course, Edward. I'll let you know when things are winding down."

"Thanks, sweetheart." I kissed the top of her head as I stood. I looked around to see that the only attention on me was from my family and the few Durmstrang boys who had a staring problem. Maybe I would skip a few of my potions this week. We'd see.

I made my way out of the Great Hall in the direction of the bathroom. But once I was out of sight of everyone else, I used my speed to get myself to Professor Moody's classroom. Bella and I had decided to use the distraction of this feast to give me time to search Moody's office. Getting through the classroom and into the office was easy. With a well-placed Alohomora charm, the doors opened without a problem.

I cautiously stepped through the outer door to find what I had seen in Neville's memory. On the right side was a large metal trunk with several locks. In front of me was a table and stool, on the table were a couple of U-shaped stands for something to rest in. If I had to guess, I presumed it was so Moody could take off his artificial leg when he wanted to rest. Next to the table was the oval mirror with the shadowy shapes moving within it. I took a few steps closer, only to see myself looking back out. Behind my reflection, there were several other shadowy figures floating around inside the glass.

Over to the left was a large cabinet where all the glass was blacked out, and next to that was the curtained off door that led through to the area Moody had gone to get the book for Neville. I made my way over to the curtain and pulled it open so I could walk through and inspect what was on the other side.

I found several bookcases, all overflowing with all manner of topics, not just ones related to the dark arts. There were more jars of creepy animals and a few more objects that I couldn't name. I don't think I'd met anyone more paranoid than this man in my entire life. The last thing I inspected was a large wooden box that had been placed by the curtained door back through to the other area of the office.

"Now, what do we have in here," I murmured out loud as I lifted the lid of the box to find it divided into sections, and in each section was a bottle filled with a sluggish liquid. The smell that came out of the box, and those bottles, was one that I had intimate knowledge of.

It was the smell of Polyjuice potion. Only this one was not as well made as mine. From the smell, and the look when I lifted a bottle, I could see that this potion would only last an hour, if that. No wonder our so-called professor was constantly sucking on the flask he kept in his jacket pocket.

I had just placed the bottle back into the box when I heard a sound that didn't belong. It was a rattle—no, more like a shake—and it came from the other room. I moved back through the curtained door only to see the trunk settling back into place. I frowned. I had never seen my trunk move like that, or at all. Something was seriously …

"Professor Moody?" I asked as I moved across the room.

_Edward? Is that … you?_

"It is, sir. Are you the one who should have been our teacher? Are you Alistair Moody?"

_Yes … the night … of the break in at my house … someone knocked me unconscious. I don't … don't know who … when I woke up … I was in here._

"He's impersonating you. He's come in as our teacher," I said as I flicked out my wand. "Alohomora."

When nothing happened, Moody spoke again. _He has keys … they're magical … can't open the trunk without them._

"How do you know?"

_It's my trunk. Dumbledore … told me about you … and Bella … Can you help?_

"We can. We'll get the keys. But I don't think it's wise to remove you until we know who is pretending to be you and why." I looked around through the drawers and cupboards the pretend Moody had in his office, looking for the keys.

_No, no … I agree. It would … just be nice … to think and be awake … more often than … under the effects of this … potion._

I stopped looking. If I was pretending to be someone, had someone else locked in a trunk, I wouldn't put the keys where I could easily find them. I'd keep them on my person. I walked back over to Moody's trunk. "Do you know what potion he's using?"

_A mild poison … I think. Hard to tell … I could get a sample after you help keep me awake._

"It doesn't matter. We'll get you something to fight the effects." I paused as I heard Bella call out for me from the Great Hall. "Sir, I have to go. They'll miss me soon. We'll be back as soon as we can."

_Thank you, Edward. See you soon._

I exited out of Moody's office and classroom, making sure to lock both doors behind me, and sped back to the Great Hall. I returned in time to grab a slice of warm apple pie and some ice cream, just to make sure that it looked like I had eaten. When I had entered the Great Hall, I noticed that the other two chairs had been filled in my absence. Ludo Bagman was seated next to Igor Karkaroff, and Barty Crouch had taken the seat next to Madame Maxime.

"What are they doing here?" I asked as the food disappeared from the plates.

Bella shook her head. "We have no idea. But I wonder if they're the other judges for the tournament. It would make sense to have the heads of Magical Games and Sports and International Magical Co-operation as the judges, considering they were integral to bringing it back."

"Good point." I nodded.

_Find anything?_ Bella asked as Professor Dumbledore stood from his seat.

"Oh, yeah," I whispered. "I'll tell you all about it afterwards."

Professor Dumbledore smiled down at all of us as he walked around the teachers' table to take his place at the podium in front. "The moment has come for the Triwizard Tournament to begin, but before we bring in the casket, a few things to clarify …"

"The _what_?" Harry asked, aghast. He was picturing the type of casket that was used in the muggle world to bury the dead.

I could see that Dumbledore was thinking of something completely different, so I shook my head at Harry but left it all up to Dumbledore to explain.

"There is going to be a certain procedure how this year will run. But first, let me introduce you to Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department for International Magical Co-operation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department for Magical Games and Sports."

There was a smattering of applause when Barty Crouch stood from his seat but much more when Ludo Bagman stood and waved enthusiastically to all the students.

_Pompous showoff._

I chuckled at Bella's thoughts. "They usually are, my girl."

It was certainly weird to see Crouch in a wizard robe compared to the three-piece suit he wore to the Quidditch World Cup. He certainly had looked more comfortable wearing that than the robe he was in.

Dumbledore continued when the applause settled down. "Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman have worked tirelessly to bring you the Triwizard Tournament. The last few months have been filled with all sorts of meetings to make sure that it is going to be the safest it has ever been."

I snorted softly. Sure, the tournament might be safe; I wasn't so sure about the school.

"They will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel to judge the champions' efforts." At the mention of the champions, the hall went deathly silent. We were all awaiting more information. Professor Dumbledore smiled at the stillness of all the students in front of him "The casket, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch, who had been lurking off in the shadows, sprang to life and carried a large jewel-encrusted wooden box to a stand that had been placed next to Dumbledore's podium. There was a flash as Colin Creevey took a photo—one I'd bet Sirius would pay for, or any other from this ceremony—and Dennis Creevey stood to see over the top of the rest of the first years. Although he was so short, it didn't make much of a difference.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore explained as Filch carefully lowered the casket to the stand with every students' eye on him. "They have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, which will be spaced throughout the school year. These tasks are designed to test the champions in many ways. Including their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and of course, their ability to cope with danger."

A pin drop could be heard in the silence that followed Dumbledore's last statement. I wasn't sure anyone was breathing, just like the vampires in the room.

Dumbledore pulled his wand from his robe. "As you know, three champions will compete in the tournament. One from each of the participating schools. These champions will be marked on how well they perform each task and how fast they perform them. Of course, the champion who has the highest total at the end of the tasks will win the Triwizard Cup. The Triwizard Champions are to be chosen by an impartial judge …

"The Goblet of Fire."

With his wand, Dumbledore tapped the casket and stepped aside. Slowly, the casket melted in a wave of gold magic to reveal a large, wooden, roughly hewn cup. It would not have been remarkable, in any way, had it not had large blue-white flames dancing in the mouth.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must—clearly—write their name and the name of their school on a piece of parchment and place it in the Goblet. Aspiring champions will only have twenty-four hours to place their name in the running, for tomorrow night, on Halloween, the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged to be worthy to represent their school."

Dumbledore paused as excited whispers broke out around the Great Hall. It was entertaining the amount of people who were thinking of placing their name in the Goblet regardless of the fact that there was an age restriction.

Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly as he waited. "The Goblet will be put into the Entrance Hall tonight so that it is freely accessible to those wishing to enter. I will, however, be placing an age line around it to dissuade those underage from the temptation of putting their name in the Goblet. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to access the Goblet.

"Finally," Professor Dumbledore sighed, leaning heavily on the podium in front of him. "I wish to impress on any of you wishing to enter the tournament that this is not to be entered into lightly. The placing of your name into the Goblet constitutes a binding magical contract, and if you are selected, you are obligated to see it through until the end. There can be no changing your mind if the Goblet chooses you. Therefore, please be very sure that you are whole-heartedly prepared to compete before you place your name into the Goblet of Fire. Now, I think it is time for bed. Goodnight to you all!"

I stood with the rest of Gryffindor table, holding Bella's hand. We followed along behind our friends, laughing at their banter because Fred and George were still determined to enter into the tournament. They believed if they could trick the age line, then the Goblet wouldn't know they were underage. Hermione was adamantly against it. She was so sure that just because they could trick the age line didn't mean the Goblet wouldn't know how old they were.

"Still going to enter, Edward?" George asked, turning around to walk backwards.

"I am. I'm going to do it in the morning if you want to come down with me."

"I'll be there," Bella said, squeezing my hand. "Gotta support my man after all."

"We'll all be there. Have to see what happens to Fred and George when they fail!" Neville laughed with Harry.

"Hey!" The twins yelled out together. "Who says we're going to fail?"

Ginny pointed at them. "Everyone knows you'll try. You'll fail because you can't fool Professor Dumbledore if you tried. He's one of the greatest wizards ever known."

"Where are the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students sleeping?" Harry looked around.

"They're going back to their ship and the carriage. That's why they came here in them," I answered as I watched Karkaroff pause when he saw the scar on Harry's forehead before being scared off by Mad-Eye Moody.

Our banter continued until we reached our Common Room. Once there, everyone but Bella went their separate ways to bed. Well, except for Fred and George, who decided they were going to make an aging potion before they went to sleep. I couldn't wait to see how Dumbledore decided to play this game with them and any others who tried to trick the age line.

Bella climbed onto my desk as I sat in my recliner, waiting to hear about what had happened when I was in Moody's office. We were both silent until the only thoughts of students who were awake were Fred and George's. Everyone else was asleep, dreaming about what the tournament would hold.

Bella looked at me meaningfully. "So?"

"I was able to find the person in Moody's office. But I couldn't get access to him."

"There is someone being held captive in there?"

"Yeah. In a large metal chest that our professor holds the keys to." I sighed. I knew Bella wanted to know. "The man in the chest is the real Alistair Moody."

"Smoking Dragon dung," Bella whispered.

Smoking Dragon dung was right.

~*~UHS~*~

Bella and I spoke quietly for most of the night. We spoke about everything we had learned: from Moody in his own trunk to the Goblet of Fire. By the time Bella was yawning, almost consistently, we had a plan to deal with at least some of the stuff coming our direction.

Bella and I traded places so she could curl up in my recliner after she'd changed into one of my shirts. Bella had never looked more appealing than when she had donned my shirt. That had never been a thought I'd had before. It was hard to reconcile these thoughts about my Bella because I've had three years of thinking innocently about her. It would take some time to be able to think these things freely without feeling the slightest inkling of guilt for them.

While Bella was sleeping, I penned a detailed rundown of what happened the night before in the form of a letter to Sirius. I wanted to advise him that if he wanted to get the scoop on the impartial judge—The Goblet of Fire—to ask Colin Creevey for copies of his photos. Maybe even to pay him for them and any more he could take.

Due to the excitement of the Goblet and the start of the Tournament, most students were up earlier than normal for a Saturday morning. Not that I was surprised. Even Bella was up early, considering how late we were up the night before. She excitedly kissed my cheek before scampering up to the dorms to wash up and dress before coming back down.

I was surprised that Fred and George weren't ready to go by the time Bella, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Harry were ready to head down for breakfast. We decided that we'd leave them to it and headed out the door.

Harry was the one to ask the obvious question. "Did you put your name in overnight, Edward? 'Cause that's when I would have done it."

"No." I snickered. "Bella wanted to be here with me, so we agreed I'd wait until she woke up this morning."

"Are you nervous?" Ginny looked over at me. "It sounds like it's going to be hard."

"I am," Bella answered. "There's so much that could go wrong. But I'm so damn proud of him too."

Hermione laughed. "You'll be even prouder when he's a champion."

"And then prouder again when he hoists that cup over his head!" Neville joined in.

Bella giggled at them. "Well, yeah!"

We reached the foyer, or entrance hall as Dumbledore had called it the night before and walked toward the center of the foyer where the Goblet had been placed on its stand. On the floor, around the Goblet, was a perfect magical ring. The ring was hovering slightly off the floor and was gold in color. We had just stepped up to the edge of the ring when there was a scuffle and some laughter from behind us.

We spun around to see Fred and George were laughing and carrying on, almost falling to the floor in their haste.

"Done it," Fred whispered coming to our sides. "Just taken it."

"The potion? You actually did it?" Hermione gasped, outraged.

I smirked because we'd just gained another spectator. I held my arm out in a sweeping motion. "Well, off you go then. See if it works."

Fred and George took a few steps forward, pausing at the edge of the circle.

"It's not going to work!" Bella sang under her breath. In fact, it was only Hermione and I who heard her.

Fred pulled out his piece of parchment—name and school written upon it—took a deep breath, and stepped over the line. For a short moment, Fred thought it had worked, as did most people around the foyer, including George, who jumped after Fred with a triumphant yell. Almost the moment George's feet touched the ground, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both of them were hurled out of the ring. By the time they had touched down, both of them had grown impressive beards that almost rivalled Dumbledore's.

For a split second, the foyer was quiet, then it almost burst at the seams with the amount of laughter that rang out from everyone who had been watching, including our little group. What was funnier, though, was that Fred and George burst into laughter at the way the other looked instead of being upset about it.

"Hmm," a deep voice laced with a chuckle sounded from the entrance to the Great Hall. "I did warn you. Best get yourselves up to Madam Pomfrey and join Miss Fawcett of Ravenclaw and Mr. Summers of Hufflepuff. I must say your beards are much more impressive."

Fred and George stood but spun to face me as they spoke together. "Wait, wait. We'll go and see her, but we want to see if Edward is accepted first."

I smiled at them, then down at Bella, before squeezing her hand and stepping toward the Goblet. Without pause, or preamble, I stepped over the age line and took the last few steps up to the Goblet. I looked at the blue flames dancing innocently. I looked over my shoulder at Bella as I raised my hand, winked at her, and dropped my piece of parchment.

I took a small step backwards as the flames flared red, shooting red sparks out of the top.

"Congratulations, Mr. Masen. You have just been accepted as a contender in the Triwizard Tournament for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Professor Dumbledore clapped, which caused everyone else to celebrate my entrance, especially Fred and George.

If they couldn't be in it, they wanted someone they knew to be the champion. Now that I had been accepted, Fred and George had already decided I was going to be the Hogwarts' Champion.

After breakfast, we decided that we'd go visit Hagrid. And we wanted to see how big the Skrewts had gotten. For as much as we whined about them, they were fascinating creatures to witness growing. And since finding out what they ate, they had almost doubled in size. Of course, the smell had gotten stronger, which made being near them for any length of time a chore. Especially for Bella and me because our sense of smell was better than anyone in our class.

Harry knocked on the door when we arrived, only to be startled when Hagrid wrenched the door open like he'd been standing on the other side waiting. He'd done it so fast that Harry stumbled backwards, causing me to catch him.

"Whoa there, Harry." I stood him upright then looked up at Hagrid. "Ah, morning, Hagrid. Looking spiffy there."

Hagrid had donned his best hairy brown suit, slicked back his hair, and attempted to tidy his beard.

"Mornin' all. I thought yeh'd forgotten where I lived. Come in, come in."

We spent most of the day with Hagrid, inspecting the Skrewts, which Hagrid had placed in separate boxes so they'd stop eating each other. Bella and I had fetched lunch from the Great Hall so we could spend it with Hagrid because he had wanted to celebrate the fact that my name was in the Goblet of Fire.

"Yeh wait," Hagrid said grinning. "Yeh just wait. Yer gonna see some stuff ye've never seen before. First task … well, I'm not supposed ter say."

I changed frequencies when Hagrid started to think more about the tournament. The last thing I wanted was to cheat—well, accidentally anyway.

"Come on, Hagrid! What do you know?" Bella begged.

I laughed as all of them started begging Hagrid and kept begging for most of the afternoon, trying to get him to spill any secrets he had. Amazingly, he was able to keep them to himself. I was surprised.

Hermione was reluctant to bring up SPEW with Hagrid. But after a little prompting from not only us, but Hagrid too, she was able to give her spiel.

"It sounds wonderful, Hermione. Yeh aren't tryin' to change too much. Just tryin' to protect 'em. I'm proud of yeh. How much ter join?"

"Really, Hagrid?" Hermione looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Hagrid was the first adult outside our family she had asked to join. She had expected to be reprimanded.

Hagrid frowned and pulled Hermione into a hug. "O 'course. Yeh think I'd not want to protect a creature?"

Hermione sniffled, hugging Hagrid back. "Thank you. Um … it's two sickles to join."

"Excellent." Hagrid beamed, getting up and fetching two sickles. Hermione handed over a badge, which Hagrid promptly pinned to his ugly brown suit. I could only imagine what Alice would say when she saw it.

My watch alarm went off when half past five rolled around, reminding us it was time to head back into the castle for the Halloween feast and, more importantly, for the choosing of the Triwizard Champions.

"Oh, I'll go with yeh; just hang on a minute." Hagrid stepped away into the other room and sprayed on a generous amount of aftershave. So much so that Hermione and Bella started coughing.

"What is that, Hagrid?" Neville asked. "Aftershave?"

"Eh … Eau de cologne? Don't yeh like it?"

"Uh … it's nice," Bella replied with a wrinkled nose.

I snickered at Hagrid's thoughts, which I'd tuned back into.

"It's a bit much, yeh?" Hagrid asked. "Wait 'ere. I'll be right back."

I couldn't help but laugh louder when Hagrid made his way out back to wash the aftershave off.

"What is he doing?" Harry asked me when I couldn't stop laughing. "Is he trying to impress someone?"

I snickered again as Hagrid's thoughts changed track. "Have a look out the window and tell me."

"Wait, is he leaving us behind?" Hermione gasped. "Where is he going?"

I laughed again when Bella squealed. "He's meeting up with Madame Maxime! Aww, that's so sweet."

"No!" Neville and Harry squished in to look out the window.

"Shall we head out, or shall we miss dinner and the choosing of the champions?" I opened Hagrid's front door, told Fang to stay, and then followed the four of them up to the castle.

By the time we'd reached our table, Hagrid had already taken his place next to Madame Maxime at the teachers' table, and they were deep in conversation. I was happy for him. He deserved this.

I looked around to see that we were some of the last students to make their way to the Great Hall for dinner. Everyone else had been early because they were all eager to find out who was going to be named.

"There he is! The Hogwarts champion," Fred and George called out when I reached my seat. "Ready to win this thing?" Fred continued.

"You bet. But I'm not champion yet."

"But you will be!" they both chanted together.

I had listened to Bella's thoughts all day. She was worried about the tournament. She loved that I was entered, that I could become the Hogwarts' champion, and she was proud of me. But Alice's vision worried her. Deep down, she knew the killing curse couldn't kill me, but that didn't mean it couldn't hurt me. It wasn't just that bothering her. We also didn't know what other challenges I'd be doing. And they could be anything.

I kissed the top of her head. "I'll be fine, Bella. I have you in my corner. Plus, you've made remarkable progress on the bulletproof vest. I have no doubt I'll be fine."

Bella looked up at me. She had tears in the corners of her eyes. "Promise me. Promise me you'll return to me, no matter what you have to face."

This was the first time since her scent had changed that I had to really fight not to pull her to me and kiss those soft, plump lips of hers. I wanted to prove to her that she had nothing to worry about.

"I swear on our relationship that I will be here at the end of it. That I will always be here for you."

"Good." She breathed, looking into my eyes. She stretched her hands up, tangling them in my hair, and pulled my face down. I really thought she was going to kiss me right there in the middle of the Great Hall, and I wouldn't have cared, to be honest. But Hermione interrupted us with a cough, and then a nudge of Bella because we hadn't paid attention to her subtle warning.

"You're being watched, guys," Hermione whispered. "Maybe continue this later."

Bella blushed but eyed me and pulled back. I may not have gotten my kiss then, I may not get it later that night, but I could tell that I would get it soon. And I couldn't wait.

The dinner was delivered without any fanfare. I was sure for many dinner was a drawn out exercise due to the fact that everyone was excited for the ceremony to come afterwards.

Not that I would know because I had been drawn into a fantasy of my own making.

I knew if we hadn't been interrupted by Hermione, I would have received my first actual kiss. A real one, on the mouth, from my sweet girl. That almost-kiss had my imagination running wild. Would our first kiss be soft or hard? Sweet or sexy? Long or short? Would Bella lick her lips first before threading her fingers though my hair?

I was brought out of it by Bella clicking her fingers in my face with a giggle. "Where did you go, Edward?"

"Never you mind, nosey." I looked down to grab another mouthful of food. "Hey! Where's dinner?"

Bella giggled again. "You were so out of it you didn't realize that we'd finished." She pointed up at the teachers' table. "See Professor Dumbledore has risen and is getting ready."

"The Goblet is almost ready to make its decision. Not long now. If you are chosen as a champion, I want you to come up here to the front of the hall, walk along the staff table, and make your way into the side room. Once all the champions are chosen, they will be given their instructions for the first task." Professor Dumbledore fell silent, as did everyone else.

We waited in quiet anticipation while Dumbledore pulled out his wand; with a great, big sweeping wave of his arm he extinguished most of the candles. He left only the ones in the pumpkins lit, making sure that the flames from the Goblet stood out as Filch brought the Goblet in from the foyer.

Once it was placed on its stand where everyone could see it, people started talking quietly among themselves. They were speculating when the Goblet would start to pick the champions.

The light from the Goblet was almost too bright, especially to my vampire eyes, but I couldn't take them away from it. It was the same for the students all over the Great Hall. They were all actively checking their watches, chattering excitedly amongst themselves, and staring at cup.

_Oooo, I can't take this suspense. Hurry up already!_

I chuckled at Bella's thoughts because it was one that was being echoed all over the hall.

_Don't laugh at me._ She pouted, looking at me over her shoulder. We were facing the front of the hall. I was straddling the bench, and Bella was sitting in between my legs.

"I'm not laughing at you, sweetheart," I whispered in her ear. "It's a thought everyone is having."

_Oh. Okay then._ She faced the front again, and we watched the cup with building anticipation.

We heard when Lee whispered, "Any second" from a few seats away, which caused our entire table to quiet.

The others followed our actions, with the last person falling silent as the Goblet's flames flared red, once again. Sparks flew from the Goblet for several seconds before a long, bright flame burst forth, producing a charred piece of parchment. The whole room gasped as the parchment fluttered down from the place it had flown to right into Professor Dumbledore's hand.

Dumbledore held it at arm's length so that he could use the blue-white light the flames had returned to in order to read the writing upon it.

"The Durmstrang Champion will be …" Dumbledore paused. "Viktor Krum!"

"Woooo!" the Durmstrang students cheered while Karkaroff called out above the noise, "I knew you could, Viktor! Knew you had it in you!"

Viktor had stood from the Slytherin table with a slouch and walked toward the teachers' table before taking a right and walking past their table to the room on the right.

_Do you think he can stand upright? Or is that just how he stands?_

I chuckled at Bella's questions. "I think he does it as a way to hide from the attention."

_Like a defense mechanism. _

"Exactly."

The cheering died down and petered out so they could return their attention back to the cup. A few seconds later, the flames turned red, a second piece of parchment shot out of the cup, and landed in Dumbledore's hand.

"The Beauxbatons champion is …" Dumbledore smiled a little. "Fleur Delacour!"

Once Fleur stood from her seat at the Ravenclaw table, the cheers exploded from the male population. They were enamored with her. It reminded me of the way the men responded to the Veela at the Quidditch World Cup. Which leant more argument to her being related to Bella and Renee.

Fleur fluffed her silvery-blonde hair before she made the trek down the aisle between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Bella and I looked over to where the other Beauxbatons students were sitting; to say they were disappointed was a clear understatement. Some of the other girls who hadn't been chosen had burst into tears with their heads in their hands.

_Wow, they're upset. You'd think they would have prepared for not winning, _Bella thought sadly.

"Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much you prepare, you will still feel that sense of loss if you don't win," I explained to her. "Especially if you've been pushed to be the best that you can be."

_That makes sense …_ Bella's thoughts trailed off as the tension in the Great Hall rose because everyone stopped talking and cheering.

We were all waiting on pins and needles for the last name to be called.

For the last time, the flames of the Goblet burnt red, sparks flew out in every direction, and the tongue of flame leapt out of the top. Professor Dumbledore reached up to snatch the parchment from the air and pulled it down toward him.

"The Hogwarts Champion is …" He paused while he spun the paper around. "Edward Masen!"

If I'd thought the noise level was high when the other champions had been chosen, then I was completely wrong. It seemed to almost triple when my name was said. I sat in a stunned stupor for a second or two before the act of Bella turning around and throwing her arms around my neck brought me out of it.

"Congratulations, Edward!" Bella squealed. "I'm so proud of you!"

"I did it."

"You did it! You're the Hogwarts champion!" Bella kissed me all over my face.

I could feel slaps on my back, and there were congratulations flying all over the place.

"Mr. Masen, if you please?" I heard Professor Dumbledore call out.

"Coming, sir." I kissed Bella on the forehead, stood, and walked toward Professor Dumbledore, who had his hand out to shake as I walked past.

"Congratulations. Over there." Dumbledore indicated the door off to the side.

The applause followed me all the way into the room where Fleur and Krum were already waiting. I nodded in their direction as I sat down and looked over the many paintings around the room. The inhabitants were walking in between their frames, talking and gossiping. They were all excited about who had been picked as champion and not just for Hogwarts.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore said, calling attention back to himself at the front of the hall. "We now have our three champions. I hope they can count on each and every one of you to cheer them on. And that includes the remaining students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. By cheering your champion on you contribute …"

I looked through Bella to see why Dumbledore had fallen quiet. She was staring at the Goblet of Fire, which had, once again, turned red with sparks flying everywhere. Professor Dumbledore quietly approached it. Almost apprehensively. Once he was close enough, another finger of flame flew up from the Goblet, parchment included, before the Goblet went back to its calm state of blue-white flames.

Professor Dumbledore caught the parchment as it floated down toward him. It was like watching it all happen in slow motion. I looked through Dumbledore's eyes as he used the light of the Goblet to read what he had in his hand.

I sucked in a breath before releasing it in a gush. "No." I breathed. "Not possible."

Bella picked up on my words, but instead of asking the question that flew into her head, she focused more on what was happening with Professor Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore whispered. Unfortunately, it was loud enough that everyone fell silent. "Harry Potter!"

Every eye swung around to look at Harry, who was sitting across from Bella and Hermione. His mouth was open in shock, and he had a blank stare.

"Harry," Bella whispered.

"I didn't do it," he whispered back. "You know I didn't put my name in the cup!"

"Harry Potter. Can you come up here please?" Dumbledore called again. Professor McGonagall was standing next to him, a grim look on her face.

"You better get up there." Neville nudged him. "Go before you get yelled at."

Harry stood as the whispers started. By the time he made it to the front of the hall, the whispers were conversations, and absolute pandemonium had broken out by the time Harry stepped through the door to the room we were sitting in.

I walked over to him when he froze inside the door. I placed my hands on his shoulders. "Are you okay, Harry?"

He looked up at me. There was fear in his eyes. "Tell me you know I didn't put my name in it, please? Tell me that!"

"I know, Harry. I was in the Common Room all night. You never left."

"Did zey want us out there?" Fleur asked from her place on the other side of the room. "Is zat why you are 'ere?"

I opened my mouth to answer her, but before I could, Ludo Bagman pushed through the door. "Harry, my boy! Congratulations. Gentlemen and Lady, may I introduce the fourth Triwizard Champion?"

"Surely, this is a joke?" Krum asked as he stood up from his slouched posture.

Ludo laughed incredulously. "No joke. His name just came out of the Goblet of Fire. It really is extraordinary."

"But evidently zer has been a mistake," Fleur argued with a flip of her hair. "'E is too young to compete."

"Well, his name came out of the Goblet …" Ludo trailed off as the door flew open again.

I pulled Harry over to the side as Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch, Headmaster Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape trailed in through the door. The noise coming in from outside was loud, so loud, before Professor McGonagall shut the door.

"Madame Maxime," Fleur whined. "Mr. Bagman says zat zis … zis boy is going to compete!"

_Edward, we're being shooed off to the Common Room. Come tell us everything when you're done. Surely, they won't let Harry compete._ Bella's voice trailed off as she and the others made their way out of the Great Hall.

Madame Maxime was trying to use her height to her advantage as she stepped into the center of the room. Her head was grazing the chandelier. "What is ze meaning of zis Dumbly-dorr?"

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore." Karkaroff snorted from the other side of the room. "I'm sure I read the rules carefully enough, and I'm also sure there was nothing in there about the host school having two champions."

"_C'est impossible_," Madame Maxime said, resting her bejeweled hand on Fleur's shoulder. "'Ogwarts cannot have two champions. It is most unjust."

"Wasn't your age line supposed to prevent this from happening?" Karkaroff asked. "Otherwise, we would have brought a broader range of students."

I snorted at Karkaroff, calling all their attention to me. "No, you wouldn't have. If you could have gotten away with it, you would have only brought Viktor Krum. _Greatest Seeker of the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team. _If you would have had your way, nobody else would have put their name in the cup."

"Thank you, Edward," Dumbledore said to me. He looked around at everyone who had fallen silent at my words. He turned to Harry and spoke calmly. "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry?"

"No, sir," Harry replied. Snape made a soft noise in the corner, for which I shot him a glare.

"Edward? Did you see Harry put his name in the Goblet?" Professor Dumbledore asked me next.

"No, sir. Harry slept the whole night through. He didn't go down to the Goblet until we left the Common Room for me to place my name in this morning."

"Did you ask one of the other students to do it for you? Edward or someone?" Professor Dumbledore turned back to Harry.

"_No_, sir. I would never."

"Well, of course, 'e is lying!" Madame Maxime argued.

"And how would this student"—Karkaroff pointed at me—"know that Potter didn't put his name in the cup?"

I watched in disbelief as these … adults—Maxime, Karkaroff, Snape, and even McGonagall, to an extent—started arguing. First, it was about the age line, about whether Dumbledore had cast it wrong, then about how we should hold another go around with the Goblet so that each school had two champions. It kept going around and around until I couldn't stand it anymore.

I covered Harry's ears before I let loose a growl, silencing them all. "Really? You're all adults. What kind of example are you setting for your students?"

"What the hell is he? Is he a vampire? How is it fair that not only does Hogwarts have two champions, but one of them is immortal?" Karkaroff started in straight away like I hadn't said anything at all.

"And that makes a difference when you compare it to the Veela from Beauxbatons?" Moody asked as he stepped in through the door. "There is no way Potter placed his name in the cup. It would take an extremely strong Confundus charm to hoodwink the Goblet."

"It seems you've thought about this quite a lot, Mad-Eye," Karkaroff growled.

"If you remember, Karkaroff, it was once my job to think as dark wizards do," Moody growled right back.

I smirked as Karkaroff pulled right back. In fact, he even stood back against the wall behind him.

"That's enough, Alistair. Barty, what do the rules state?" Professor Dumbledore turned to Crouch, who was standing off to the side, staring out the window.

Crouch looked slightly eerie, his face half-covered in shadow, as it were. But when he spoke, it was with his usual clipped tone. "The rules state that those whose names come out of the cup must compete. We must follow the rules."

Once again, the room delved into an argument. Both Maxime and Karkaroff believed we had an unfair advantage—although, I had to agree with them, to an extent—this was not the right way to go about airing their grievances.

"But it iz not fair," Fleur butted in with her two cents. "He gets a chance to compete for ze money …"

"And someone believes he should die for it too!" Moody growled right back. "He is underage, which means he can't have placed his name in the cup. Someone wants him in the tournament, whether he wanted to be in it or not. The cup is a binding magical contract. None of you can leave, and Potter has to compete. There isn't any more to it than that."

Karkaroff went to argue, again, about pulling more names from the cup.

"We cannot do another draw of names. The Goblet of Fire has gone out and will not relight until the next tournament," Crouch argued from his place by the window.

"Which Durmstrang will not be competing in!" Karkaroff spat.

"That is your decision, Igor. For now, we have to follow the rules," Dumbledore said calmly. I shook my head. Did anything shake him?

"Glad that's all sorted out." Ludo clapped and looked around. "Let's give the champions their instructions. Barty, do you want to do the honors?"

"Yes, the first task, instructions." Crouch took a few steps into the firelight, which highlighted the fact that he had dark circles under his eyes. He was paler than normal. In fact, he looked ill. "Courage in the face of the unknown is a wonderful quality in a wizard. With that in mind, you will not be told what your first task is. This task is to test your daring.

"The first task will be held on the twenty-fourth of November in front of the other students and a panel of judges. Champions are not permitted to ask or receive any help, of any kind, from their teachers. You will only be permitted to have your wand on hand. You will all receive information on the second task once you have completed the first. And due to the time-consuming nature of the tournament, champions will be exempted from end of year tests." Crouch turned to Dumbledore. "I think that's all, isn't it, Albus?"

"It is. Thank you, Barty. I think the champions should head off to bed. Any of you for a nightcap?"

I grabbed Harry's arm and led him out of the room before anyone else could get a word in. This was going to be a problem.

Moody was right. Someone wanted Harry in the Tournament, and whoever it was didn't want him in there for the right reasons.

"What am I going to do?" Harry asked as we walked up the stairs. "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. And we're all going to help you."

Harry looked up at me. "But you heard Mr. Crouch. I can't ask for help, nor can I take it if offered."

"Yeah, he said you cannot accept help or ask for it from your teachers. He never said you couldn't get help from your friends." I looked pointedly at him.

Harry's mouth opened and closed a few times as he thought over what I said and the instructions Crouch had given us before we left.

"You're right." He breathed. "I'm not going to be all alone."

"You never were. We would have never let you do this on your own."

"Thanks, Edward."

I nodded. The rest of the way to the Common Room was made in silence. I thought over everything that had happened. I wondered who would have the means, the opportunity, or the motive to want Harry in the tournament. There were actually a few people who came to mind—the most prominent being Voldemort. But that just brought up more questions. How? Why? And who would be doing his bidding?

There were three prime candidates in this very school. Two _former_ death eaters in Snape and Karkaroff, and whoever was pretending to be the former Auror Mad-Eye Moody.

"What do we do now?" Harry asked as we reached the Fat Lady painting.

"Why you win, of course!" The Fat Lady answered Harry's question, causing us to laugh. "I want to wish you good luck in the tournament, boys. But I have a feeling you will have quite a few questions to answer tonight."

"Of that I have no doubt, Lady." I bowed, causing the Fat Lady to giggle. "Please, may we enter? The password is balderdash."

"Certainly, kind sir. Enjoy your night, boys."

"Thank you!" we both said before stepping over the knee knocker. We didn't make it more than a few steps into the room before it exploded in cheers. Fred and George leading the way.

"Oh boy. Looks like the questions will have to wait. Thank goodness." Harry sighed.

I laughed as Bella plowed into me. "I'm not too disappointed. It's nice to be celebrated for a change. It certainly beats standing in the background."

"Then let's go celebrate!" Bella squealed, pulling us both into the room.

~*~UHS~*~

* * *

**Hmm ... an interesting turn of events. Wonder what will happen now?**

**See you all in a fortnight!**


	10. Chapter Nine -Being a Triwizard Champion

**Hello friends! It has been an incredible few weeks for me. I went on a holiday, helped to drive 4500 kilometres, but we saw some wonderful things - including where the original Mad Max films were made. I had a job interview - then found out two days later - that I got the job and start on the 19th of August. On top of all of that, I looked after my daughter, and went to work. Phew. Busy. I hope all of you were just as lucky, or busy, whichever you prefer.**

**I want to thank Pienuniek and Sally for all their hard work. For keeping me on track, and being there when I need them. I couldn't appreciate it more.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter are not mine, they belong to SM and JK Rowling respectively. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

**I'll let you get on with it.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine ~ Being a Triwizard Champion**

The Common Room was crowded because every single Gryffindor was in there, and they all wanted to know what had happened after they'd left the Great Hall. Or more to the point, they wanted to know if we had two champions, both being in Gryffindor.

I held up my hands, everyone falling silent. "I will have you know that, yes, we spoke about the fact that Harry's name came out of the Goblet." I could see they were hanging on my every word. "I want to set the record straight. You know I don't sleep. So you know I was in this very room all night last night. Harry did not leave. He did not place his name in the cup. In saying that …" I paused ever so slightly just to build the suspense I could see on everyone's faces. "Gryffindor has … two champions!"

The noise level was insane! And I was right there in the middle of it, enjoying my time in the spotlight. It was something I had never been able to do before.

_Uh oh,_ Bella thought. I caught that she was looking at Ron. If we could have been burnt alive from just one look then Harry and I would have gone up in flames. _And after we'd made so much progress too._

"He'll get over it. He's not the only one, just the only one demonstrative about it," I whispered to her.

"If you say so." Bella didn't seem too convinced but was pulled back into the party by Hermione handing over a drink that had appeared.

"How long do you think Professor McGonagall will let us celebrate tonight?" Hermione asked. "We have a lot to celebrate!"

"We also have a lot to talk about," I murmured to the both of them. Harry had made his way over to Neville, Dean, and Seamus. They may not have been in our inner circle but they were still friends.

Hermione nodded while Bella spoke. "I want to know everything that happened."

"We'll talk after the party." I grabbed a drink from the table and joined the girls in mingling with the crowd.

For the next few hours, I enjoyed being the center of attention. It wasn't something I'd had before, apart from when I was playing my piano at home with everyone watching. Harry didn't enjoy it quite so much. He and Neville had been that center for all the wrong reasons, and this just placed him square in the spotlight once again. He took solace in the fact that he was sharing it with someone.

Around midnight, Professor McGonagall did come to tell us it was time for bed, but unlike the last time, she didn't hang around. From what I could make out from her thoughts, she was distressed. While we had been celebrating what had occurred, she had spent the last few hours arguing with Professor Dumbledore. McGonagall wanted Harry out of the tournament no matter the cost. But it hadn't seemed to sway Dumbledore. He said the rules were absolute; there was nothing he could do.

I certainly was surprised that Professor Dumbledore wasn't working harder to get Harry out of it. It seemed that despite everything he had said, he wanted Harry in the tournament as much as the person who entered Harry's name. That made me pause for a minute. Why? Why would Dumbledore want Harry in the tournament? What could possibly come out of it?

Once McGonagall was sure everyone was headed to bed, she left to do the same. The arguing with Dumbledore had taken a toll on her. She wasn't usually one to argue with authority; at least, until she felt they were doing something wrong.

Our group waited until they were sure everyone was asleep before sneaking back downstairs. Bella, Ginny, and Hermione were first. Neville, Harry, and the twins not far behind them.

The planning to help Harry survive the tournament had begun.

~*~UHS~*~

Bella and I were observing yet another lesson of Moody placing students under the Imperious Curse and having them attempt to break it. The only ones who'd had any success were still Harry and Neville.

I could understand why it was hard to break. Those feelings of calm and contentment are something everyone wants to feel every day of their lives, even children. Or maybe especially children.

_You know, I was thinking …_

I snickered. "I know. You do that a lot."

Bella mentally stuck her tongue out at me while silently giggling. _It's not fair that we do so much planning without Luna. We really should include her during rather than after the fact. _

"You're right." I sighed. "Having her in another house is a pain though and makes that harder to accomplish."

_That might be true, but we have a couple things that most students in this castle don't have._

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

_A Room of Requirement and a house elf named Kreacher._

"Huh." I snorted. "Clever girl. I don't foresee a problem then. At least with Kreacher, she'll never get caught wandering the halls."

Bella smirked. _Exactly. Oh, looks like the lesson is wrapping up. Are you ready?_

"Yep. I'm looking forward to tonight."

_Me too. I so love our walks while everyone finishes dinner._

I chuckled at her while we slowly started to put our things away. We hadn't told our friends what was happening with our professor yet. We wanted to get a better idea what was going on before we filled them in. Bella didn't like it, neither did I for that matter, but Harry was under enough pressure with the tournament. Why add to it?

"Are you guys coming?" Hermione asked from the door.

Bella nodded. "We've just got some questions. Go. We'll catch up."

I pulled some of the red wax off the bell cheese from my bag and placed it in my ears as Bella made her way to Moody, keeping him distracted. Although, I wasn't sure it mattered with that magical eye of his. But—and this was something I hadn't asked real Moody in the trunk—if that eye didn't belong to our fake professor, then he might have no idea how to use it properly. Unfortunately, considering how many times he'd caught Seamus trying to hide his gum under his desk meant he certainly knew how to use it effectively.

As soon as I had the wax in my ears, Bella slowly changed her speech patterns. It was so slow, so subtle, that Moody didn't pick up that she was singing, not even when we helped him into a chair. Bella kept her singing going as I searched through his pockets, finally finding the keys we needed. With some help from a few very clever spells from Charlie's book of inventions, we were able to copy all the keys in Moody's pocket before placing them back. Once I was done, I made my way back to my chair and continued packing as Bella slowly released Moody from his trance.

"Sir? Professor? Are you okay?" she asked once he was coming around.

"Huh? Oh, yes. Off you go," Moody grumped when he'd come round.

I picked up Bella's and my bags and grabbed her hand as we walked through the door. We didn't say a word until we were well away from the DADA classroom.

_Phew. Glad that's over._

"Surely, you didn't doubt yourself?"

"No," Bella sighed. "But he gives me the heebie jeebies. I wonder if the …"—_real Moody_—"will do the same thing."

I shrugged. I didn't get the same vibes as others. I knew Moody was bad because he was here under false pretenses. He was hiding himself, and that never went well.

Bella laughed. "Well, you're helpful."

"Sorry. I get that others get weird feelings around him. It's not something I feel."

"Uh, hello, top of the food chain. Even if you don't eat the food." I laughed at her description. "But I get that. I probably shouldn't, being that I'm immortal. There's just something about him."

"That I get. We wouldn't be doing what we're doing if we didn't suspect something."

Bella nodded but fell silent as we walked into the library. We had homework to do before we talked to Luna and the others about our discussion in Defense class.

~*~UHS~*~

Our plan for dinner had been to stock our pockets with food before we left for our evening stroll. We had spoken to the others and told them that we would be adding it to our nighttime ritual as a way to catch up after the business of the day. Some time to be us, without everyone else around. After that would be a group study session, just not in the library.

We were going to go to the Room of Requirement every night after dinner so we could catch up with everything going on. We'd spoken quietly to Luna in the library earlier, and with everyone else, and they agreed if anything happened after that then Kreacher would bring them to the RoR after Bella or I had opened it.

Anyway, back to what I had been talking about, we had planned on collecting some food in our pockets to take back to the real Moody, but Kreacher had gone above and beyond. When the food had appeared on our plates, I felt something drop into my pocket. Bella's thoughts also registered a weight in hers. We both reached in while looking at one another to find a small bag in our pocket. Stealthily, I pulled mine out and held it between us, only to find a felt bag in my hand.

_What are they?_

I leaned over to kiss her head, putting my mouth next to her ear as I placed the pouch back in my pocket. "They're pouches of food. Kreacher's a smart one."

_That he is. _Bella smiled. _What would we do without him_?

I laughed. "I have no idea," I said, sitting back up and reaching for some food.

Hermione frowned at me. "You have no idea about what?"

"Much of anything anymore. And it's something I love." I laughed at Hermione's putout face.

"He's just feeling silly." Bella poked my side. "But he's right. It's nice to know we still have so much to learn. That we don't know it all."

Every single one of our friends, except the twins, stood when Bella and I did.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked when Luna caught up with us.

Hermione hugged Bella's arm. "We know you wanted to take a walk to reconnect even though you spend all day together."

"On the off chance that it's not what you're doing," Neville spoke up from behind us. "We wanted to make sure you weren't the only ones leaving the Great Hall, in case something goes wrong."

Harry smiled. "This way they can't place the blame directly on you guys."

I laughed. Our friends were far more observant that we gave them credit for. "Smart. So what are you going to do?"

Luna smiled, answering together. "We're going to meet in our meeting place. We'll see you up there."

"Thank you," Bella said, looking at our friends in awe. "So this is our new routine."

"Yep." Ginny nodded. "Have fun on your walk. See you in a bit."

Bella waved to the girls as the five of them walked away together to the moving staircase. "We have fantastic friends."

I threw my arm around her shoulders and pulled her to me. "That we do. We're going to have to fill them in. I thought you hated keeping secrets."

Bella shrugged. "I do. But this one feels more dangerous than normal. What with Harry being pulled into the Triwizard Tournament against his will. Someone pretending to be a well-respected Auror and our professor. Plus the extra death eater hanging around, it's making me understand Professor Dumbledore on a whole new level. The difference is I don't want to keep it forever, just until we can understand it a little bit more."

"Fair enough."

We walked quietly through the halls, making it look like we were aimlessly wandering around until we found ourselves in the same corridor as Professor Moody's classroom. With a quick look and a listen with our enhanced senses, I unlocked the door with an "alohomora". Bella and I walked through after one more look up and down the corridor. I shut the door, leaving it open only a crack.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right here by the door?" I turned to Bella.

She nodded. "Until we can make sure we haven't or aren't being followed, one of us needs to stand here. Go. You have the rapport. I'll be fine."

I kissed her head before making my way to the office door and casting the unlocking charm again. Once I was in the office, I didn't waste any time.

"Professor Moody?" I called as I circled through the keys, finding the right one to start unlocking the trunk.

_I'm … here. Weak._

I was unlocking the locks as fast as I could. "It's okay, sir. We have some water, some food, and a potion to help reverse the poison he's feeding you. You'll have to pretend you're still poisoned, but this will help."

_Good …_ His thoughts trailed off, concerning me. Had we left it too late?

It took me longer than I wanted, but I finally finished unlocking every lock. "Still good, sweetheart?"

_You're good. Dinner is still going. _

I pulled open the lid to see that the inside of the trunk was much like mine—although I expected that—and it went at least five hundred meters straight down. There was no ladder and the walls were smooth, so there was no chance in Moody climbing out, even if he had the strength to do so.

"I'm going in, Bella. He needs the antidote."

_Before you go. Here._ I looked up to see her at the door. She threw her bag of food and a small bottle of pumpkin juice at me._ He's probably going to need more than we have, so we'll have to work something else out with Kreacher. But for now, this will have to do._

I nodded to her because she was right. Whatever small amount we could fit in our pockets wasn't going to be enough. Well, it would keep him alive, but it wouldn't keep him nourished. And I'm sure there were going to be days that we couldn't get in to see him. Once Bella walked back to the door, I planted my hand on the side of the trunk and jumped into the open mouth. I landed with a muted thud, pulled out the antidote potion I had perfected for potions class, and moved swiftly to Moody's side.

"Sir? Professor?" There was a low groan from the man in question. At least, he was still alive. Thank God. "I'm going to give you a potion, sir. Hang on."

I maneuvered him into a semi-reclined position then tilted his head back, which caused his mouth to fall open. When I was sure he would be okay to swallow, I uncorked the bottle and poured a mouthful of my new potion into his mouth. It didn't take but a few seconds for the potion to work its way through Moody's system and for him to start coming around. I looked him over to find that Moody was missing his leg from the knee down. So the one fake Moody was using must belong to the real Moody.

I sat back and watched as he blinked his good eye a few times, clearing his eyesight, before he moved his head from side to side trying to ascertain where he was. I could see the reason he needed the magical eye. His left eye was completely missing. The eye socket was empty. It took a couple of moments before he was able to focus enough to see me sitting in front of him.

"Professor?"

Moody slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. "E-e-edward?"

"Yes, sir. Here, you must be parched." I held the bottle of pumpkin juice out to him, more so on the right side so he could see it clearer. I even uncapped it for him.

"T-t-thank you."

I sat quietly while he took a few small sips. "Bella and I brought you some food. It's not much, but we'll work out something better to get you some more."

He nodded and took the food when I offered it, and by the time he had finished eating, Moody was looking much better. He sat back in relief when he was done and let out a big sigh.

"Thank you, Edward. And thank Bella as well."

I smiled. "She says you're welcome." I heard a giggle from my girl. "She's currently standing guard at the door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. You told me that you were attacked the night before we were due to come to Hogwarts. Can you remember anything else?"

Moody shook his head. "Everything is a little fuzzy right now but maybe in a few days. All I remember is someone breaking in and not much after that."

"Okay." I stood up. "We're going to get going before whoever is impersonating you comes back. We'll bring you more food and drink every night while he's distracted in the Great Hall. Bella and I are known for our nightly walks after dinner. Remember to …"

"Keep up the pretense when he's here. Got it. I'll try to garner any information I can. Be safe, Edward. Before you go—has the tournament started yet?"

"The names have been drawn. Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, me from Hogwarts … and Harry Potter."

"Damn." Moody sighed. "I was afraid this was going to happen. Have you heard from Dumbledore yet?"

I shook my head. "Not a word since he questioned us the night of the name drawing. He's kept his thoughts close to the vest too."

"The only way for Harry's name to be pulled out of the cup, after everyone else had been chosen, was if he was entered from another school. He needs to be careful. Make sure you guys help him. These tasks are hard. Way beyond the talents of a fourth year. At least, you've got your speed and immortality on your side, although the first task will test that."

I frowned at his description. It sounded like what we were up against could kill even me. That was a sobering thought.

"Bella has a shield, yes?" I nodded to his question. "Get her to practice wrapping you in it with you moving. Okay?"

Again, I nodded.

"Good. I'm going to sleep. Get going. See you soon."

"Soon, sir." I jumped between the walls, using them to climb to the top, and pulled myself out, only to see Bella standing at the door.

"Ready to go?"

"Yep, just let me lock the trunk back up." I turned to say goodnight to Moody, but he was already asleep. The ordeal must have taken it all out of him. I locked the trunk and the door to the office after I walked through. "Let's go before we're caught. Dinner is finishing up."

Bella nodded and led the way to the door of the classroom. She scoped out the corridor before sliding through the crack. I followed behind her, locking the door. Instead of heading straight for the corridor leading up to the stairs, we decided it would be best to take the circuitous route in case we bumped into fake Moody on our way out. Because I couldn't hear his thoughts, and I couldn't walk around with the Marauders map in my hand, he had the advantage. The only thing I could use to hear him coming was his thumping steps due to his false leg.

I wrapped my arm around Bella's shoulders and buried my nose in her hair once we made it to the more populated areas. Anything to make it look like we had been off for a nice walk together. We were quiet all the way to the Grand Staircase where I grabbed her hand before taking the first few steps.

_I think we're good. Nobody was suspicious._

"I know. But we won't know until the next time we see Moody. His attitude will clue us in to whether he suspects anything."

_Okay. Let's go study!_

I laughed and pulled her along.

~*~UHS~*~

The next morning, the true problem with being a champion became known. Despite the fact that I had been demonstrative with Bella for the last three years, and more so since the boys from Durmstrang had arrived, there were girls who were going to be a bit of a problem.

I thought this wouldn't be a problem, but I had been so wrong. When Bella and I had taken the last few steps off the moving staircase, our group of friends became surrounded by a group of simpering girls. I could see from their thoughts that they knew there was no way they'd get me away from Bella, but they were enamored with me all the same.

That was going to cause a problem. Especially if they insisted on following me everywhere.

When Bella groaned in her thoughts, I pulled her closer under my arm. "Just ignore them, beautiful. They mean nothing to me. You mean everything."

"I know." Bella sighed. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

I laughed, which caused the girls to sigh in that ridiculous way they do. "I don't like it either. I never thought that doing this would cause that." I shrugged in their direction. "But rest assured they aren't dumb enough to try anything."

"Can't say the same thing for that Durmstrang boy over there though," Neville murmured, indicating the one that had a staring problem.

Harry nodded, looking at him. "Yeah. He had the guts to stop us and ask about Bella yesterday. I don't think Krum has told him you're a vampire, Edward."

Hermione snickered. "Well, that should make things interesting for a while."

"Just don't kill him, Edward," Ginny sang before going over to say hello to Luna. Those two had become the best of friends.

"I make no promises," I whispered to Bella, making her giggle.

_I promise not to hold it against you if you do,_ Bella thought as she pulled food towards her.

"Good to know, sweet girl. Good to know."

"Why aren't they following Harry around though?" Hermione asked as she reached for some pancakes.

I snorted. "That's because, for as much as they're enamored with me, they're upset with Harry. They're all jealous that he was able to get his name in the cup when nobody else underage was able to." I held my hands up. "I know, Harry. You didn't do it. The Gryffindors believe it, but the rest of the school hasn't had my explanation. I don't think they'd believe me even if I did tell them."

"True. Hopefully, with our continued friendship and the first task coming up, they'll believe me soon enough." Harry held up his crossed fingers.

"One can only hope." I nodded to him.

We continued talking all through breakfast before making our way out the doors so we could head down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. I had to be thankful that we had this class with the Slytherins. At least, I knew they wouldn't become the simpering idiots who had followed us into the Great Hall this morning.

"All right, yeh lot. The Skrewts are gettin' fat. We're gonna try walkin' 'em this mornin'," Hagrid said to us when we were all in front of him. "Yeh're gonna want yer dragon skin gloves and one of these leads."

"Where exactly are we supposed to leash them? On their stingers?" Pansy called out from the back of the group.

"I'd say around their middle, duh," Bella answered her without thinking. "That seems the most logical place to me."

Pansy came back with the most clichéd come back in the book. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Why don't you use that thing in between your ears for a change?"

"Okay, okay, girls. That's enough, yeah. Take a leash and get to walkin'. Harry, come over 'ere. I want to talk to yeh." Hagrid looked out over the group. "All of yeh. Get goin'."

Harry walked over with Hagrid, who congratulated him on being one of the Hogwarts champions. That was all it took for Harry to be able to confide in someone who was outside the situation. And it was something he needed.

"Come on, Edward. Want me to put the leash on?" Bella asked, pulling my attention from Hagrid and Harry. "You know because of the fire and all?"

"Ha, ha. You don't have to, but you can if you want to. Although, you'll probably have more luck than most considering your calming nature."

It wouldn't be the first time Bella'd had more luck with these Skrewts than anyone else in the class. She was the one to figure out what they ate after all. But on several occasions, she'd successfully completed a task with them that no one else could. And it seemed that this time was going to be no different. The Skrewt that was left to us could sense what Bella was straight away because it almost started to wiggle in excitement that she was coming closer.

I couldn't help but laugh as the damn thing used the part that spit fire to flip over when she stood next to his crate. "He wants a belly rub, Bella. I don't think you'll have any problem getting the leash on him afterwards."

Bella released the giggle that I loved to hear before she reached down to do exactly what the Skrewt wanted. After the belly rub, she helped it to flip back over, and it stood patiently while she attached the leash around its middle. When it was ready, I opened the gate on the crate, and we took it for a walk around the paddock Hagrid kept them in and his garden. Bella and I were one of only a few people who were able to get the leashes on them.

Bella and I walked around the garden slowly, taking the time to just relax, but as we made our second lap around the paddock, another Skrewt stopped in front of Bella and blasted over onto his back.

I sniggered. "Oh dear. Looks like you've done it now."

Ginny came running over. "I'm so sorry. He managed to chew through the leash I had around him." Then she laughed. "That'll teach me to be too afraid to put the leash where it was supposed to be."

Laughing, Bella bent down to rub the Skrewt's belly, only to have ours flip over again. "I think you might be right, Edward. What do we do now?"

"Well, I'd say rub their bellies, and when you're done, we'll flip them back over and get them to their pens before any more make their way over," I said while pulling on my dragon skin gloves.

It took a few minutes before we managed to get the two of them back on their feet, and Ginny's leash back on her Skrewt, so that we could walk them back to their pens. Neville was laughing with Dean, and Hagrid and Harry had finished their talk. It left Harry feeling much better about the situation he found himself in.

That was until later that day. Our little group, that we'd dubbed the Misfits, were making our way down to Potions—after saying goodbye to Luna—when we bumped into the Slytherins including Pansy Parkinson. She really had taken over for Draco, who had decided to take a step back from leading his pack to concentrate on his studies. Much to the annoyance of his classmates. Although, from what he told us in the Room of Requirement one night, his father was happy about it. Well, only the knuckling down part; he hadn't told him about stepping back from bullying Harry and Neville.

That wouldn't have gone down well.

So as such, Pansy had taken up Draco's place, and she was exceedingly nasty in her pursuit. And she cornered us outside Potions class.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Hogwarts champion and his little tag-a-long," she sneered, walking over to us. "Happy with yourself, are you, Potter?"

Bella snorted at Pansy's words while Ginny pulled Hermione back behind us with Neville.

Pansy's attention moved to Bella. "Problem, freak?"

I growled low in my throat, but Bella held her hand out to me. "Sure, I have a problem. You and your holier than thou attitude. Who made you queen of the ridiculous?"

"What are you talking about? Do you even make sense?" Pansy growled. To me, she looked constipated, but hey, who was I to judge. "Doesn't matter. I wasn't talking to you. Hey, Potter, what do you think of our badges?"

That was the first time their badges caught our eye. At first, they were red and gold with "Support Edward Masen" written on them, then they would swirl and change to a putrid green and black color that had "Potter Stinks" splayed across them.

"Very mature." Harry nodded. "I can tell you put a lot of effort into them."

I snorted at Harry's answer and Pansy's flabbergasted look. It wasn't the response she had been looking for.

"You got something to say, Edward?" Pansy simpered, attempting to purr. Bella scoffed in her thoughts, trying not to let Pansy get to her.

"Yeah, for someone who is supposedly supporting me, you sure do leave a lot to be desired. I'm supporting Harry as not only a fellow Gryffindor but as a fellow champion. Must you incite hate with this type of behavior?"

"I can, therefore I will. You are the one true champion of Hogwarts, and you deserve better than her."

It was that comment from Pansy that incited Bella's ire. In two seconds flat, her eyes went from her beautiful brown to the glowing white I had come to adore. By the time Snape stepped out of his classroom because of the noise, I was holding Bella back. Both from physically attacking the stupid girl and her arm to stop her producing her wand and cursing Pansy with one of the charms we had learned on our own.

"What the hell is going on here?" Snape growled over the noise as he stepped into the corridor.

"She was going to jinx me, sir!" Pansy cried out in response. The little tattletale was going to get Bella in trouble. She wouldn't know what hit her because nobody messed with my mate.

I pointed over Bella's shoulder. "Like you were going to do any different. Besides the fact that you goaded her by trying to come on to me. You saw what happened to Brunhilde in first year, why would you do something so stupid?"

Bella's eyes were still glowing, but she wasn't struggling against me anymore, which relieved me a little. Bella looked up at me, kissed me on the chin, and before Snape could say anything, snapped her fingers. It took me a short second to realize that she'd used the hand on her wand arm, and I quickly wondered what she'd done. It didn't take me long to find out.

Pansy gave a short squeal, which caused everyone to look over at her. What we found, though, caused most of the students standing around to burst into laughter. Pansy now stood in front of all of us in just her underwear. She screamed out in horror before she spun and ran in the direction of the Slytherin Common Room.

Snape interrupted the laughter that was following Pansy down the corridor. "Detention. Both of you."

Our mouths fell open. Surely, he wasn't going to punish just us. Though I wasn't sure why we were surprised.

"Professor Snape, sir," Harry spoke up. "It shouldn't just be Edward and Bella who have detention. Pansy did start the argument. She wanted to start something with me because of those badges."

"In that case, Potter, you will serve detention with them. Class, now."

Even the rest of the Slytherins were quiet as we followed Snape into his classroom. From the thoughts flowing around the room, a lot were surprised by Professor Snape. They'd seen him mad, they'd seen him nasty, and they'd seen him unfair. But something about this display had them seeing him in a different light. I wondered if they would continue seeing him for who he was.

Snape stalked to the front of the room. He had his mind closed off, so I wasn't sure what he was going to say. "Thanks to the display out there in the corridor, I've decided that I will be poisoning Potter to test your antidotes. The question I ask is should it be now, when most of you aren't ready? Or shall I stick to my Christmas deadline? I'm thinking it should be now."

There were several gasps from around the room. A lot of them hadn't honestly thought that our Potions professor had been serious when he'd threatened us at the beginning of the semester. Pokey—who had been keeping tabs on him—popped out of class as soon as the words were out of Snape's mouth.

"Now, Potter …" Snape started only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. "Enter!"

Colin Creevey, our resident photographer—who had taken Sirius up on his offer for The Truth, slowly opened the door and peered inside. "Um … Professor Snape?"

"Yes?" Snape said coldly.

"I'm here for E-Edward M-Masen and H-Harry P-Potter," Colin stuttered over our names thanks to the glare Snape was sending him.

Snape stared down at Colin, causing him to break out in a sweat. "They both have an hour of potions to complete."

"Uh … Ludo Bagman wants them. He needs all the champions for photos."

I could hear Harry groan internally, and I followed with my own. Mine though only loud enough for Bella to hear.

Bella snickered at my predicament. _I'll have to cut that out of the paper and make a scrapbook for this year. I have the ones saved from The Truth from the ceremony. I want to remember this and have proof for our kids._

This was another one of those moments where I wish I could kiss her for all she was worth. I had to grip the table with my left hand so she couldn't see the fight in me. I would not pressure her. She had to be ready.

"I love you, Bella," I whispered to her. "And I love that you do things like this."

_Love you, too, Edward._

"Very well. They may go, but they have to leave their things here so they can come back to test their potions." Snape looked at us out of the corner of his eye, daring us to argue with him. But it wasn't us he had to worry about.

"Please, sir," poor Colin squeaked. "They have to take their things. All the champions …"

"Fine," Snape growled. "Get them out of my sight!"

I swung my bag back onto my shoulder while keeping an eye on Snape. I whispered to Bella as I followed Colin and Harry out the door. "Be careful, Bella. Keep an eye on things until Pokey gets back. And please, for God's sake, keep your temper in check."

_I'll try my best. I'm sure Pokey will be back soon. Have fun!_

I shook my head at her thoughts before turning back to Harry and Colin.

"It's so cool that we've got two Gryffindors as champions," Colin said enthusiastically from beside Harry. "Don't you think so?"

"Yeah, cool," Harry muttered, not that Colin was paying attention. He was jabbering on about how his photos had been bought by the obscure new flyer. He didn't have an actual name, just that he had to send them to an address that nobody knew of.

"Professor Dumbledore has even said that I can take a few pictures today so I can send them off." Colin looked at me over his shoulder. "I wonder who prints The Truth. Have you heard anything, Edward?"

I smirked a little. Not enough that Colin would notice, but Harry did. "I haven't heard anything. Sorry. But it is awesome that you can make some money for the photos you take. Who's taking the other ones today?" As if I needed to ask.

"Rita Skeeter is here representing The Daily Prophet. She's going to be interviewing you guys too. I wonder how The Truth will get the story to go with the pictures I take." Colin mused to himself.

"Yeah, I wonder." Harry laughed as he looked at me.

I shrugged as we slowed down and came to a stop in front of one of the smaller classrooms.

Colin knocked, then opened the door. "We're here, Mr. Bagman." He stepped into the room with Harry and me following. Colin swiped his camera from a nearby table.

"Ahh, excellent, the last two champions. Harry, my boy, how are you?" Ludo pulled his bulky frame off one of our smaller student chairs.

I looked around as Ludo engaged his "favorite" champion. Krum was slouched in another chair in the corner while Fleur was standing by the fireplace shaking out her silvery-blonde hair. I shook my head; she really did remind me of Renee. I could see it now. The only difference was that she didn't have Renee's arrogant stance and facial features. In fact, Fleur's stance and attitude reminded me more of Bella.

"You are Edward Masen, yes?" Fleur asked, coming to stand a few feet from me.

I nodded, holding my hand out to shake hers. "I am."

Fleur shook my hand with much more strength than I would have thought for a Veela. "I am very sorry for my behavior ze ozzer day. But I was wondering. Your mate, is she Isabella Swan?"

"She is," I said slowly. "May I ask why you are enquiring?"

"I vant to tell you, but I wish to speak to her first. I hope you don't mind?"

I shook my head. "I'm not her keeper. Do you want me to tell her you're looking for her?"

Fleur shook her head, hard. I was worried she'd hurt herself. "I need to be able to do it on my own. Thank you though."

I turned back around when Rita spoke up, louder than necessary. "Do you mind if I talk to Harry quickly before the others arrive?"

"Oh … uh … not at all. Do you other champions mind? We're just waiting for the others to arrive for the Wand Weighing Ceremony." Ludo looked around at us, obviously noting the confused looks on our faces. "We have to make sure your wands are fully functional. Our expert is coming with Dumbledore. So in the meantime, is it okay for Rita to start her interview with Harry?"

The three of us shook our heads, only to frown in confusion when Rita grabbed Harry and dragged him into a broom closet, of all things.

"She is a weird woman," Fleur muttered before taking a seat.

I leaned against the wall near a pile of chairs so that I could keep an eye on everything going on inside that room and listen to what Rita was asking Harry, only to notice that Rita's photographer couldn't keep his eyes off of Fleur. He had to be at least twice her age and the way he looked at her was not on as far as I was concerned. Then I snorted quietly to myself because that thought was a little hypocritical. The difference was I didn't look at Bella like she was something to eat … yet.

I cleared my throat, which caused him to snap around to me. He took a few steps back from my glare. That was when I caught the conversation happening with Harry. Rita wasn't listening to Harry and was trying to bring his parents into the conversation. She was trying to insinuate that Harry was living dangerously because of his history. It was making Harry extremely uncomfortable. I took a few steps toward the broom cupboard, glaring at Rita's photographer when he was going to try to stop me. He stopped dead in his tracks and, once again, took a few steps backwards.

I reached out for the doorknob, wrenching the door open so hard it almost came off its hinges. "This interview is over," I hissed, scaring not only Harry but Rita Skeeter as well. "Sorry, Harry," I apologized. He waved it away as he stepped around me and back into the classroom. "You're a despicable human being. Bringing up something so horrible all for sensationalism. You're nothing but a gossip hound."

Rita gasped at my words, truly offended, but then screamed when I ripped her notepad and Quick Quotes Quill from the air, all before I slammed the cupboard door in her face. I grabbed the nearest broom—that hadn't been put away—and used it to lock the door, hoping she wouldn't get out.

I pointed over at her photographer. "If you so much as make a move to let her out before Dumbledore gets here, I might have to rethink my diet."

Ludo looked over at me. "Um … Edward, was that completely necessary? We need someone from The Daily Prophet here."

"Well, when she starts asking you about your dead parents, and how that makes you more prone to being a 'rebel' and acting out, all without listening to you, then you have the right to ask me. Until then, maybe you should look into getting a more … professional reporter." I pulled Harry over to the opposite side of the room, away from that awful woman.

Ludo nodded, then made his way over to Viktor Krum and struck up a conversation about the Quidditch World Cup.

Harry leaned against the wall next to me. "She's not going to write a very nice article about you, you know that, right?"

"I can only hope she doesn't write about me at all. Could you imagine what Bella's response to a scathing article about me would be?"

"Ohhh, that wouldn't be good." Harry snorted into a laugh. "I hope Rita Skeeter knows what she's about to step into."

I laughed with him. "As long as her focus stays on me because if she turns it to Bella, I won't be held accountable for my actions."

Harry nodded, noting what I did. We were being watched and listened to by Rita's photographer. I hoped he passed on our conversation. Rita needed to know.

We all looked up when the door opened, only to find Sirius walking through.

"What are you doing here?" Harry blurted out before I could.

"Nice to see you, too, Harry," Sirius laughed. He winked in our direction when nobody was looking. "And, actually, I'm here to join Colin. We've been hired by the same discreet person to write an article about The Triwizard Tournament. I was hoping to wait until Rita finished." Sirius looked around. "Where is she?"

I snorted and cut my eyes to the broom cupboard. "She's indisposed at the moment."

Sirius clapped. "Okay then. Shall we get started? I want to interview you all at the same time, then individually. I'm hoping to write enough pieces to run them over the coming weeks before the first task."

For the next hour and a half, Sirius ran our interviews like a well-oiled machine. It was like he'd been doing it all his life. For the first half an hour, it was a group interview with plenty of photos taken by Colin. After that, he spent fifteen minutes talking to each of us, even though he knew Harry and me. And Colin took more photos of us individually. He was certainly thorough.

By the time he was finished, Professor Dumbledore was walking through the door with Mr. Crouch, Madame Maxime, Headmaster Karkaroff, and …

"Opi! How are you? What are you doing here?" I asked, striding over to shake his hand.

Opi laughed. "I'm good, Edward. And I can see that you, too, are well. But I'm afraid I can't chat. I'm here in an official capacity today."

"Ah, okay then." I chuckled. "I'll wait over there with the other champions." I walked back over to where Harry was waiting but stopped in front of Sirius. "Can you do something for me when you leave?"

Sirius frowned. "Sure. What is it?"

"Destroy these. At least, she won't have them for this article." I handed over the Quick Quotes Quill and the notepad Rita had been using.

Sirius snickered and placed them inside his bag after tying them together. "I can do that."

"Welcome, welcome," Dumbledore said as he flicked his wand. A couple of long tables and five chairs landed in a row at the front of the room. Four more chairs floated down into a row a few meters away. "Thank you for joining us this afternoon. We're here for the weighing of the wands. And to judge the wands, we have the illustrious Wand Maker Virgulo Opifex."

There was mild clapping around the room as Opi stepped forward and waved much like the Queen of England would, only faster. "Thank you, thank you. I'm glad to be here."

I chuckled at him, as did the others, although they weren't sure why it was funny.

Professor Dumbledore sat down with the other judges as Rita's photographer let her out of the broom cupboard. The silly woman tried to intimidate me with a glare. But as she walked past me, I let out a growl only loud enough that it made her instincts kick in and her hair stand on end. She quickly took her seat after that.

I heard Sirius snicker from his seat next to her. "Just remember, Rita, you're attempting to take on a vampire, and not the ones we know all about. He's much more dangerous."

I smiled at her, showing all my teeth, scaring her that much more.

Opi winked my way before turning to the rest of the group. "Miss Delacour, if you would, please?" He indicated to the space next to him.

Fleur gracefully stood from her seat between Harry and Viktor and made her way to stand next to Opi, handing her wand over once she was there. "'Ere you are, Monsieur Opifex. It is nice to see you again."

"You as well, Miss Delacour. I see that you have taken very good care of the wand I made for you. It is in excellent condition." Opi spun her wand around, over and over, checking every inch of it.

"Thank you, Monsieur Opifex."

Opi nodded. "You're welcome. So … nine and a half inches of inflexible Rosewood, and if I'm remembering correctly, you were lucky enough to have some of your grandmother's hair that we used. Veela, right?"

Fleur nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Thank you, Miss Delacour. It is always nice to see my creations being so well cared for." Opi handed back her wand. "Now if you could, please create some orchids for me."

Fleur did a simple flick of her wrist with her wand in hand as she said, "Orchideous." Some very beautiful yellow orchids flew out of the end of her wand.

"Lovely!" Opi said. "It's in wonderful working order. Thank you, Miss Delacour."

Fleur bowed slightly to Opi, then bent and picked up the flowers that had come from her wand. She walked over to the judges table and handed them to Madame Maxime before taking her seat again.

"Mr. Masen, you're up next."

I stood and flicked my wand arm so I could release my wand from the gauntlet Bella had produced for us. Opi's eyes widened, as did just about every set at the judges table.

"May I see?" Opi asked, reaching for my arm instead of my wand. I smirked as I rolled the sleeve of my shirt up. "This is fascinating. Where did you get it?"

"Bella made it. She got sick and tired of having to pull her wand out of her pocket when we were in class or practicing spells. She searched for ages for the correct idea. When she came across the gauntlet, she realized that with only a small amount of modification, she could get it to work. I'm very proud of her."

Opi nodded as he turned my arm this way and that, looking at it. "As you should be. Has she patented this? Is she going to be selling it?"

"On the advice of someone we trust, she has had it patented, so no one can copy it. And, no"—giving Opi a meaningful look, which he got—"Bella will not be selling it."

_Yet,_ Opi thought as he held his hand out for my wand. "Well, let's see how you've looked after another of my creations."

I smirked and handed it over. "I think you'll find it in perfect condition. I treat her well."

"I'm sure you do!" Opi laughed. "How is dear Bella?" he asked as he turned my wand in every direction.

"Wonderful as always. Did you hear she's to be published?"

"No, I hadn't. That's wonderful. You'll have to send me a copy." There was a subtle cough from the judges table. "Sorry, sorry. Oak … 11 inches … stiff and masculine. It is a beautiful wand, if I say so myself. It has a dual core of his mate's Veela hair and her blood, all to balance out his magic with his vampirism." Opi handed back my wand. "Silver smoke rings, if you please, Edward?"

I flicked the end of my wand. "Circulm fumi." At the peak of each flick, a silver smoke ring popped out of the end.

"Excellent!" Opi clapped. "I declare this wand in working order."

I chuckled lightly as I nodded to him, then the judges, before taking my seat as I slipped my wand back into my gauntlet. I could hear the envy in Krum's thoughts as Opi called him up to have his wand judged next. Krum loved the idea of the gauntlet, and he wanted one for himself. I wondered how long it would take him to try to ask Bella for one, especially once he found out Harry had one.

"This is a Gregorovitch creation, yes?" Opi asked looking over Krum's wand.

"It is," Krum replied gruffly. His voice matched not only his inner voice, but the slouched posture and grim attitude.

"He does produce nice wands, much like Ollivander." Which meant that he mass-produced them so the wand chose the wizard, rather than crafting each wand for each wizard. "Let's see. We have ten and a quarter inches of thick and rigid Hornbeam. It has a Dragon Heartstring for a core. There are a few nicks and marks. You should take better care of it, Mr. Krum." Opi looked over his glasses at Krum, who seemed to shrink away from him a little but took his wand back from Opi when he held it out. "If you could release some birds for me, please?"

With a gruff "Avis" and a lazy flick of his wand, a sound like a gun blast emitted from Krum's wand right before a few small birds flew from the end.

"Thank you, Mr. Krum. I declare this wand in good working order."

Krum shot a guilty look at his headmaster, who was looking less than pleased, and sat back down in his chair with a huff. Krum was not pleased at all about being called out on the way his wand looked.

Opi waved Harry up last. "Mr. Harry Potter, please join me."

I almost choked on the laugh that tried to come out at the jealousy in Krum's thoughts when Harry flicked out his wand as well. He was more determined now that, at some point, he would be asking Bella for one of the gauntlets she'd made. Well, he was going to be shit out of luck because she wasn't making any more right now.

"Ah, I wondered if I was going to see an Ollivander creation today. He makes lovely wands too. Let's see." Opi hummed a little, looking over Harry's wand. "It's flexible, and made of Holly. It's a full eleven inches and has a Phoenix feather in it, if I'm not mistaken."

"You aren't, Mr. Opifex." Harry nodded.

"Another wand that has been very well looked after. Could you please shoot some water from the end into that bucket over there?" Opi asked.

With a wave motion with his wand and the charm "Aguamenti", water flew out of the end of Harry's wand, right into the bucket.

"Well done, Mr. Potter. Your wand is in working order. Please take a seat." Opi shook Harry's hand before Harry replaced his wand. Opi shook each of our hands as he walked past and took his seat next to Sirius.

"Thank you, everyone. Lessons are about to end, so it might be wise to head down to the Great Hall for …" Dumbledore had stood up from his seat.

"Wait, Professor Dumbledore. The Daily Prophet needs pictures!" Rita called out as she stood up hastily, knocking over her chair in her hurry.

Dumbledore frowned. "Didn't you get any before?"

"Uh …" Rita turned to look at her photographer and leaned in when he wanted to talk to her. "We got some of the champions, but we'd like some with the judges as well, please?"

"We'd like some of those too, please, Professor Dumbledore," Sirius said as he rose from his chair much more sedately than Rita had.

Dumbledore studied them over his half-moon glasses before he released what had to be the tiniest sigh of all time. "By all means."

It took several moments of arranging and rearranging before we could start to get any shots where Madam Maxime's shadow wasn't being cast over all of us. And it took several shots before we could coax Krum more to the front. For someone who should be used to the attention, he certainly wanted to shy away from it. Not that I could blame him. By the time we were done, I was completely over it as well.

"Thank you, everyone. Time to get some food before there isn't any left. Thank you, champions." Professor Dumbledore ushered us out of the room before we could be asked any more questions by that gossip hound or Ludo Bagman.

I was glad for it. I wanted to know what had happened in potions after we had to leave. I knew Snape wasn't going to be happy about what had happened. Although, I wanted to know what Dumbledore was going to do about him threatening to poison a student when we were supposed to be using the tester for our potions. He really should be fired for all the stunts he'd pulled over the years. Surely, Dumbledore didn't believe he was still a good fit for this school.

Harry and I found the rest of our group of Misfits still sitting at the Gryffindor table when we'd finally made it to the Great Hall. Luna had even joined them after she had finished having her dinner.

I looked over to the Slytherin table to see that Draco was in conversation with the Durmstrang boys. He was using it as an excuse not to engage with his "friends" from Slytherin. He saw me looking in their direction and thought out a hello. He was glad for the fact that we were engaging less in conflict than previous years. It let us go about our business without anyone catching on to the fact he was helping us.

"Edward!" Bella squealed quietly when I plopped down next to her. "How did it go?"

I laughed. "I was going to ask you the same question. How did potions go after we left?"

"You first! I asked first." Bella pointed at me.

"We had a Wand Weighing Ceremony." For the next few minutes, Harry and I talked about what had happened. We explained not only what happened with the ceremony, but what happened with Rita Skeeter as well.

"She'll be getting something in the mail if she tries to post one nasty word about you!" Bella growled after we'd finished, causing Harry to laugh.

"I knew you'd say something like that." Harry sighed. "But I have a feeling she's going to use this as a way to do a whole article on 'The Boy Who Lived'."

"I'm glad I'm not you. I may have lived through something terrible that night, but I didn't survive Voldemort. That has to be some burden." Neville shook his head. It was one less thing he had to worry about.

"I can handle anything she writes, Bella. But I think Harry's right." I pulled her hand to my lips before scooping some food in with the fork in my other hand. "What happened in potions?"

"Nothing much," Hermione answered. "Once you two were gone, Snape spun around to the front of the classroom, only to realize that Pokey was gone too. Up until this lesson, I don't think Pokey had taken Snape's threat to poison us seriously. But this lesson changed his mind. Snape realizes that Dumbledore knows, and I can't wait to see what comes of that."

Bella snorted. She wasn't sure anything would happen. "We do, however, have to serve our detention tomorrow night."

I was about to say something else, but before I could, Professor Dumbledore walked with a purpose through the doors of the Great Hall. He was heading straight for Professor Snape at the teachers' table, and everyone could see it. The Great Hall fell silent as Dumbledore reached the edge of the raised platform.

"Severus, were you seriously going to poison one of your fourth year students to test their antidote potions?" Dumbledore asked. It would have been quiet, and barely heard, if not for the fact that everyone was listening and paying attention. "You do realize this is a serious breach of Hogwarts Rules and Regulations? For Merlin's sake, you have had a tester placed in your classroom to stop your bias. You are supposed to have the students test their potions in there. What are you doing?"

Dumbledore continued to question Snape without giving him much room for answering. In fact, I wasn't sure Dumbledore wanted answers. He just wanted to make Snape realize that it wasn't just Pokey who would be keeping an eye on his movements and actions anymore. Now that the teachers knew, they would be keeping a closer eye on not only Snape, but also keeping a closer ear on students' conversations so they could hear what was going on.

"And as for that detention you are hosting tomorrow night, Pansy Parkinson has been added to the list. If you are going to punish those for retaliating to bullying, then you need to punish the bully as well. In fact, Miss Parkinson will have two nights detention—one with you, one with me—just to make sure she knows that she should not bully, nor should she instigate something she cannot finish against a mated Veela!"

Professor Dumbledore was panting slightly at the end of his rant. He was mad, yes, but he had managed to keep his cool while berating Snape. From Dumbledore's thoughts, he was hoping that a public dressing down would finally pull him into line. It certainly seemed positive if the look on Professor Snape's face was anything to go by.

Only time would tell.

~*~UHS~*~

The morning following our detention with Professor Snape—where we had to pick out the brains of rats without magic—was when the first article for both The Daily Prophet and The Truth were delivered to the students staying at Hogwarts.

I hadn't had a look at either by the time we made it down for breakfast. I wasn't sure I wanted to, but it was the hot topic of conversation the whole way down to the Great Hall. It didn't take Athan long to deliver the paper once Bella and I sat down at the Gryffindor table. All I could see was Harry's face looking up at me from the front page. Bella looked at me and rolled her eyes, not bothering to reach for the paper like she usually did. Granted, she always went for The Truth, but that wasn't the point.

I was about to open it up to give it to her when Harry sat down at the table with a huff, paper firmly in hand. "Have you read this?" He shook it in my face as he asked.

"Not yet," I said as I picked it up. "Why?"

Harry sighed. "Just read."

Bella leaned her head on my shoulder so she could see The Daily Prophet with me. And I was right. Rita Skeeter had done an article, but it was solely on Harry alone and nobody else. Except for a tiny little blurb at the very bottom.

"_Harry Potter, aged twelve, the youngest ever Triwizard Champion. His eyes swimming with the ghosts of his past …_ What is this shit?" Bella asked after reading the first couple of lines.

"Esme wants me to tell you—language." I snorted as Bella apologized without looking at Esme. "But I agree. What is with this crap? She heard the entire interview with Sirius, asked her own inane questions, and this is what she prints? I mean, I even took her notepad and Quick Quotes Quill."

Bella laughed. "Really?"

"He did. You should have seen her face!" Harry snickered.

The rest of our Gryffindor Misfits sat down around us and groaned, seeing we had the paper in front of us.

"What a bunch of baloney." Hermione groaned. "I mean, she's written some pretty awful stuff, but this is just …"

"Riddikulous?" Ginny asked with a laugh quoting the spell.

Neville nodded. "That's a good way to put it. But what gets me is everyone else."

We followed his pointed finger to plenty of others around the hall. But what surprised me was that just as many were discarding The Daily Prophet for The Truth inside. I opened up to the middle of the paper to find The Truth.

"Well, let's see what our favorite flyer has to say today." I laid it out flat and saw a picture of the four champions in the middle. "That's already a better start."

Everyone agreed as they leaned in to have a look.

"Go on, Edward. Read what it says," Bella encouraged from my left as she sat back and started to reach for some food. The others did the same as I started to read.

"_A couple of weeks ago The Truth was granted access to the start of the Triwizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry thanks to some very helpful insiders. We were even able to give you pictures of the Goblet of Fire and the Champion Choosing Ceremony. Thanks to those unbiased articles, we were able to hire a reporter to sit in on the Wand Weighing Ceremony and get to know the four champions a little more personally. That's right, I said four._

"_Over the coming couple of weeks, leading up to the first task on the 24__th__ of November, we will do in depth articles on each of the champions, but for the purposes of this introductory article, I give you the Triwizard Champions. From left to right: Viktor Krum, representing Durmstrang, and yes, the seeker for the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team; Fleur Delacour, representing Beauxbatons, and for those asking, she is a Veela; Harry Potter, representing Hogwarts—due to unforeseen circumstances, the Goblet pulled his name from its depths. We will explore this more when we get to know him. And Edward Masen, also representing Hogwarts and a vampire to boot. But don't get too excited ladies. This vampire is happily mated._

"There's more to it after that. Mostly about Hogwarts and hosting the tournament and how they plan to have a reporter at every task. But that's the gist of it."

"A much better article. No wonder the majority of the student body is turning to that one instead," Hermione murmured before laughing. "I love that he pointed out you're mated."

I beamed and kissed my girl, who was beaming at that fact, on the top of her head. "Not proud at all, are you, sweetheart?"

"Not at all. I'm sure by the time the article comes out about you, they'll all know exactly who you're happily mated to." Bella laughed. "The whole magical community will know. Best news ever."

We all laughed at her happy self and continued eating our breakfast. We were quite happy to laugh and joke around until something caught my attention. I looked up at the teachers' table to see that Opi was still here, and he was trying to talk to me. With so many voices in the Great Hall, I had pushed them all to the back of my mind so that I could concentrate on those around me.

"Excuse me. It seems I'm being summoned to the front." The others looked at who wanted me. They all smiled, with the girls waving at Opi, before going back to their breakfast. "Morning, Opi. I thought you would have gone home after the ceremony the other day."

"Have a seat, Edward. I had some catching up to do with some of the professors, so Albus offered me a room here at the castle for a couple of nights. Here, I had a compulsion to put this package together, and I knew you'd know what to do with it." Opi slid a small, rectangular package across the table between us—a little bit longer, wider, and deeper than a wand box. "I think you'll find the contents very useful." _There's a new wand in there and an invisibility tablecloth. I was compelled to put it in there for you._

"Thank you." I breathed out. I knew what the tablecloth was for, and I could only imagine that Opi had made Moody—the real Moody—a new wand. It might be time for Bella to make another gauntlet as well.

"Well, my boy, I must be off. Just remember that house elves are marvelous creatures who can do anything and go anywhere. Good luck in the tournament." Opi stood and held out his hand.

I shook his hand after standing myself. "Will we see you at the first task?"

"I'll be there with bells on, don't you worry." He laughed as he walked away.

I snickered at his mental picture of him with bells hanging from various places as I followed him back to my table. He kissed Bella on the head, said hello to everyone else, then shuffled off through the door to make his way to Dumbledore's office.

"What's that?" Ginny asked as I sat back down and pulled my coffee toward me.

"Something for me, nosey." I laughed at her putout face. "Just something Opi thought I should have."

Bella looked up at me. _It's for Moody, right?_

"I think so, my smart girl," I whispered at vampire speed.

_Guess we got something else for him tonight, other than food._ Bella smirked.

I snickered but talked to our walking encyclopedia of all things. "Hey, Hermione?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"I have a theoretical question about house elves, and I figured since you'd done all the research into them you might know."

Hermione nodded. "I might. But you won't know if you don't ask."

"Could a house elf, theoretically, get into a locked trunk without the keys to do so?"

Hermione took a few minutes to really think about my question. I probably could have answered it myself, but she had done more research on the topic than anyone else.

"Is it a magically locked trunk?"

"It has to have specific keys, but other than that, nope."

Hermione shrugged. "Then, as far as I can tell, the house elf should be able to. As long as they know where it is, what's in it, and where to blink into, then they shouldn't have a problem. Why?"

Bella was watching me. It didn't take her long to put it all together.

"No reason," I replied to Hermione. "Just something Opi said to me before, that's all."

"Okay." Hermione nodded, not asking any more questions. "Time for class."

We all stood as the bell went off and made our way to our first classes. Tonight was going to be interesting.

~*~UHS~*~

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**So ... how about them apples? Snape doesn't seem to be making any friends, in fact he seems to be getting worse. But the friends are pulling together. Let me know what you think!**

**See you in a fortnight.**


	11. Chapter Ten - The Best Day Ever

**Hello everyone! I hope you've all had a good fortnight! This one has been wet, rainy and really damn cold here. I have one week left until I start my new job, and I'm very excited.**

**My thanks go to Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson for there pre-reader and Beta skills. I wouldn't be able to post chapters this pretty without either of them.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter don't belong to me. SM and JK Rowling have that privilege. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Enjoy ...**

* * *

**Chapter Ten ~ The Best Day Ever**

Bella and I were nervous. This was the first dinner in a long time that Professor Moody hadn't been here for. Kreacher had already placed food and water in our pockets when the food appeared on our table, but we couldn't leave until Moody was in the Great Hall eating his dinner.

_Where is he?_ Bella thought as she looked toward the door.

"He'll be here," I whispered back. "He has to eat."

The further along we got with dinner, the more nervous we became. What if he didn't actually show up? It wasn't until almost dessert time that Moody made it to the teachers' table. Once he sat down, he dove into his meal with gusto.

_Oh, thank Merlin._ Bella sighed in relief. _Shall we go?_

"Yep. Ready to get started, everyone?"

The Misfits all rose with a nod, even as Harry and Neville grabbed a couple of pieces of dessert to take with them, and we all made our way to the door. Bella was chatting with Luna while Ginny and Hermione talked from behind us. We waved to them as they all left, heading for the staircase. I could hear that even Draco was making an excuse to leave the hall. He joined us when he could get away.

We were so glad that the simpering girls who had been following me had decided it was in their best interests to stop antagonizing Bella. They had tried once, just once, by following us out of the Great Hall one night. All it had taken to realize that they had made a huge mistake was one of them reaching for my hand, and Bella turned around with her eyes glowing. Especially considering said girl's hand had broken out into a bright red, itchy rash. They now admired me from afar and had stopped following me around everywhere.

I couldn't tell you how happy I was about that.

We walked around for a few minutes to make sure nobody was following us while I kept an eye on what was happening inside the Great Hall. Moody had started to eat with gusto, but he appeared to have slowed down, and the longer he was in the hall, the slower he ate.

Once we made it into the classroom, Bella waited by the door while I went ahead into fake Moody's office to open the trunk for the real Moody.

"Hey, Edward. How goes it?" Moody asked when I'd had the lid open.

"It's been … interesting. How about you?" I asked as I jumped into the trunk.

"Same old, same old. Just you know, hanging about."

I snickered at Moody and his attempt to make light of the situation he found himself in. "Well, I'm here to make things a little bit better. I had a visit from an old friend a couple days ago, and he had a feeling that I might know someone in need of a couple things. Here."

Moody looked at me strangely before taking the long box from my hand and opening it. "My wand. How did you get it back? And what is this?"

"That is an invisibility table cloth. And I didn't get your wand back. A friend of mine felt that I knew someone who needed one. He made that."

I watched Moody's face. It didn't take long for it to click. "Opi? You've been in contact with Opi. How?"

"He made Isa's and my wand. And he was here for the wand weighing ceremony. Opi stayed for a couple extra days, and he gave me the wand and the tablecloth this morning. Bella also made you one of these." I flicked my arm, making my wand shoot out into my hand to show what I meant.

I pulled the gauntlet from my bag and handed it over so Moody could have a closer look.

"Your mate made this?"

I let loose a proud smile. "She did. She's brilliant."

_Edward, stop,_ Bella thought from the door. She loved that I loved her designs but could get all embarrassed when I praised her for them. She thought I went overboard.

"I'd say so, too." Moody murmured. "Thank you, Bella."

"She says you're welcome. We've brought more food and drink. But there's something I want to try. Kreacher!"

It took but a few seconds for Kreacher to pop into the trunk next to me. He was confused for a few more seconds due to our surroundings, but when he looked up, he got the gist.

"Thank you for coming, Kreacher. Can you get things inside a locked trunk?"

Kreacher held up a finger, popped out, then popped back in. "Kreacher should be able to. Is he who you needed the extra food and drink for?"

I nodded. "Kreacher, this is Alistair Moody. He is the one who should be teaching us this year. Moody, this is our house elf Kreacher."

"You used to serve the Blacks." Moody pointed at him.

Kreacher bowed. "Kreacher did, yes. But when Kreacher met Miss Bella, he felt a bond to her. Master Black let me out of my commitment to them and into one with Miss Bella."

Moody nodded in understanding.

I turned to Kreacher. "For each meal, can you send some food here for Moody, please? We aren't able to get enough in for him with those small bags we're carrying."

"Kreacher can do that. Anything in particular, Master Moody?"

"Some butterbeer and a fire whiskey occasionally would be good."

Kreacher nodded, bowed to me, then clicked his fingers and was gone. A few seconds later another plate loaded with desserts appeared in the trunk as well as a shot of fire whiskey and a butterbeer.

I chuckled. "I don't think you'll have a problem anymore, Alistair. And when your captor isn't around, you can use the tablecloth for warmth." I stood, getting ready to go, but had one last question. "Have you remembered anything yet?"

Moody shook his head. "I'll call out for you if I do. Thank you for everything, Edward. Don't sneak down here every night. Now that Kreacher can feed me, only come every once in a while. Keep me up to date on the tournament."

"You got it. See you next week. Oh, here." I pulled a stack of The Daily Prophet and The Truth out of my bag. "Something to read."

"Thanks. Now get out of here."

I saluted him, and then used the walls to get out of the trunk once more. I closed and locked it when I reached the top, then made my way out to Bella.

"All clear?"

Bella reached out for my hand. "Yep, let's go. We've got loads of homework to do. Even though you won't have finals, the rest of us will."

"Don't worry. I'll help you study."

"I never doubted you for a minute, Edward."

"And, to be honest, I want to learn everything too," I said with a smirk.

~*~UHS~*~

The castle had been hectic since the arrival of the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. And it had gotten even worse since the articles had started about the champions. Granted The Truth's articles were much better than the ones in the Prophet, but they had shined a spotlight down on Harry and me because James and Sirius had done the articles on the both of us first.

So due to the fact that we were feeling a little claustrophobic in a castle the size of Hogwarts, we took the first chance to escape that we could. Thank goodness, the trips to Hogsmeade were still on.

Harry even took his invisibility cloak just in case he wanted to disappear from everyone hounding him, and I couldn't blame him.

"What are we doing today?" Bella asked, leaning against me.

I shrugged. "I'm just happy to be out of the castle. Regardless of the fact that I put my name in the cup, the staring and whispering is getting to be too much. It's like first year all over again. It's also starting to get a little claustrophobic with all of those extra students this year."

Bella nodded. "I'm half expecting Rita to do a scathing article about our relationship."

"If she does, the Daily Prophet will have hundreds of letters telling them and her what a reprehensible human being she is," Hermione said, then gave us a winning smile. "And those will just be from me."

We all laughed at her before the rest of the Misfits agreed with her. Once we arrived at Hogsmeade, we decided just to wander around the town rather than having specific plans. We were just happy to get out of Hogwarts for the day.

We spent the morning walking around, joking, and steering clear of some of our castlemates. The girls visited the sweet shop, and Neville and Harry went into the joke shop. While they were visiting their chosen stores, I found a bench and waited outside in the fresh air. Hogwarts seemed so much smaller this year with the extra students staying on the grounds, even if they never had lessons or slept inside. I think it had to do with the extra minds in my immediate vicinity, making it seem that much smaller.

I had only been sitting there for a short while, with my eyes closed, when Bella climbed up into my lap. "You should be careful. My mate won't like you sitting there."

Bella snorted. "I can guarantee that if anyone climbed in your lap other than me, they'd be on the floor faster than you could stand. I would hope that once you knew it wasn't me, you would knock them off."

"Pfft, they wouldn't even get a leg in the air," I said, wrapping my arms around Bella.

Bella giggled then sighed. "You okay, Teddy?"

I smiled at my old nickname. "Yeah. Just enjoying the much quieter atmosphere. Hogsmeade isn't nearly as busy as Hogwarts."

"It must be that much harder."

"Eh. Just a little louder." I shrugged. "Are we ready for lunch?"

"We can sit here for a little bit. The others are still shopping." Bella snuggled up under my chin, hummed, and just relaxed. At least, for a little while. "You know Rita Skeeter is going to say something about us eventually, don't you?"

"I do. But she will rue the day that she does. The backlash, just from those at school who know us, will be huge. For not only her but the paper."

"Do you think we should get out in front of it?"

"The article in The Truth has helped. I was grateful that they focused on Harry and me first. They were able to get _the truth_ out about our relationship first. But I'm not sure that'll stop Skeeter. She's going to be looking for scandal—it's who she is." I sighed, pulling Bella closer.

"So you're taking a 'whatever will come, will come' attitude?"

I laughed at her description. "Something like that, yeah."

"Sounds like a plan." She sighed. "This is nice."

And it really was. We hadn't had much time to just sit and be ourselves since we started back at school. Almost three months of not being able to just relax and snuggle—except for when Bella was sleeping—took a toll on our relationship. It wasn't something I had noticed before but could feel it now.

"We need to make time for this more often," Bella and I said together before snickering quietly.

"That we do," I agreed.

A few minutes later, our friends converged on our bench, telling us about the things they had bought before they pulled us up and playfully started pushing us towards the Three Broomsticks for lunch. We were loud and obnoxious when we fell through the door, so much so, that we were almost told to go find somewhere else to eat. We Misfits settled down once we found a table large enough to accommodate all of us.

We were only halfway through lunch, laughing and carrying on, when the door opened and a loud, boisterous voice floated in. I looked up to see Hagrid and the fake Moody walk through the door, having a great conversation. Hagrid spotted us as they walked to Hagrid's usual table. He held up a finger to Moody, telling him to wait a minute, before he wandered over to our table.

"Afternoon, 'vryone. How 're we all?"

I saw Moody roll his eyes in the background before he walked over to the only table that would fit Hagrid. I so wished I could hear his thoughts, but as usual, he had them locked down tight. His face, however, showed a huge amount of annoyance to whatever Hagrid was going to say to us.

The girls all smiled up at Hagrid before Bella answered him. "We're good, Hagrid. How are you today?"

"Ne'er better. I just wanted to ask Edward and Harry somethin'." Hagrid indicated that he wanted us to follow him a short distance away. He stopped when he was in a quieter place of the pub. "Can you two sneak out of Gryffindor tower tonight? And meet me say around midnight?"

I looked over to Harry, who was quietly debating with himself. He knew that he could use his invisibility cloak, and between that, my mind reading, and the Marauder's Map, he was pretty sure we could do it without being caught. He nodded to me.

I turned back to Hagrid. "That shouldn't be a problem. Are you gonna give us a clue as to why?"

"Nope!" Hagrid smirked under his bushy beard. "Yeh'll just 'ave to wait and see."

"Okay," I laughed. "We'll meet you at your hut tonight."

Hagrid tipped an imaginary hat towards our table, causing the girls to giggle, before ambling his way over where fake Moody was waiting for him, somewhat impatiently.

"Field trip tonight?" Bella asked when we'd sat down.

"Seems that way. Hagrid has something to show us." I kissed her head.

Hermione frowned. "Do you think it's to do with the tournament? You aren't supposed to accept help from teachers."

Harry shrugged. "You really think that Madame Maxime and Karkaroff aren't going to be helping their champions? Especially considering Hogwarts has two?"

"I think they will," Luna said from the other side of Ginny. "All of them want the glory for themselves and their school. Of course, they're going to help them."

"Besides, from the reading I've done, cheating is as big a part of the tournament as the actual tournament itself." I snorted. "Cheating has always been a popular thing all throughout history. Be it here, in the magical world, or out there in the muggle one. Just ask Fred and George or Emmett and Jasper."

The twins in question burst into laughter from the end of the table while nodding their heads.

Not long after that conversation, we finished up our lunch and dawdled around Hogsmeade for the rest of the afternoon. We had no concrete plans other than just being for one day. We managed to hang out until the last carriage was ready to return to Hogwarts before dinner.

~*~UHS~*~

"I'm ready, Edward," Harry said, stepping off the bottom of the staircase, and looked around. "Bella finally went to bed?"

I sighed. "Yeah. She wanted to know what was happening the minute we got back, but I talked her into waiting until we could tell everyone. She went up not long ago."

"Are you sure this charm of Fred and George's is going to work?"

To answer his question, I pointed down at my feet, not that you could see them. We'd all talked—on the way back from Hogsmeade—about the best way to get down to Hagrid's hut without being caught and decided that Harry could get a piggy back ride while I wore the invisibility cloak. The only problem was that when I tried it on, I was too tall. So Fred and George had taught me a disillusionment charm to turn parts of my body invisible, and as such, the lower half of my legs were now just that—invisible.

"Huh, that is very cool. Why can't we just do that all over?" Harry asked, bending down to touch the bottom of my legs. They were still there, and you could touch them; they just couldn't be seen.

"I'm not sure I'd trust it, to be honest. I would like to be seen once this is all over."

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to be invisible for the rest of my life either. So how are we gonna do this?"

"Like this." I spun in front of him and bobbed down a little. "Hop up, then throw the cloak over us. We should be good to go then."

It took a couple of minutes to get Harry situated, and then to throw the cloak over us. It was awkward because Harry was at that age where boys didn't do hugs anymore, and a piggy back ride was essentially that.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Harry. Once we get down there, I'll go into the trees, and you can have the cloak to yourself."

I could feel Harry blush mildly against my back. "I know. It just feels weird."

"I know." I snickered. "Imagine what it would be like if we were doing this when I was alive. This type of behavior was strictly forbidden. Now, it's normal."

Harry went quiet, doing exactly as I said as I raced through the castle and out onto the grounds. "I never really thought about it like that before. How did you get over it?"

I couldn't help the bark of laughter that came out of me. "Wrestling with my brothers and recognizing that times change. Men are okay to hug now. It's okay for them to kiss each other too." I shrugged. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, it's just a piggy back ride."

I slowed to a stop as Harry thought more on what I'd said and helped him scramble off after taking off the invisibility cloak.

"You're right, Edward. Thanks for that."

"No worries." I knocked on Hagrid's door.

Hagrid was at the door before I could finish knocking, and instead of inviting us in, he started ushering us away from his hut and into the forest, all the while looking around as if he were waiting for someone else.

I widened my hearing out, waiting to see if I could pick up something else, only to hear a couple of creaks coming from the carriage on the grassy knoll in front of the castle. There was also the opening and closing of the large door.

"Quick, quick," Hagrid said, guiding us. "Yeh must hide. Harry under yer cloak. Edward, what will you do?"

I pointed up before scrambling my way up into the tall trees.

"Okay, good. Just follow me in a minute." Hagrid turned around toward the carriage. It was then I took a good look at him. He was back in his good brown suit, his hair was slicked back, and he had a large sunflower pinned to his lapel.

_What is he doing? _Harry thought, watching Hagrid with interest. That was when Madame Maxime walked around the corner of the carriage. _Oh, my God. Why am I not surprised?_

I chuckled from my spot high up in the trees. It seemed love was in the air for our friend Hagrid. I hoped it all worked out for him; he deserved to be happy. I snickered again when Hagrid became flustered around Madame Maxime before leading her farther into the Forbidden Forest, with Harry and me following. But what nearly had me outing my hiding spots were Harry's thoughts as he followed along with Hagrid and Maxime's conversation. It seemed Harry had just put two and two together.

Ahh, boys at his age. Love and relationships were not on their radar, and anybody in one, or interested in one, was disgusting. It really was just too funny.

My thoughts were interrupted by low, loud growling sounds, right before a clearing ahead of us was lit up by a bright orange light. It shocked me so much that I my grip nearly slipped on the tree I'd landed in. Instead of waiting for Hagrid to continue leading us, I took off ahead of them. What I found in that clearing was beyond my comprehension. I never thought I'd see one in real life, let alone four.

Four larger-than-life dragons were in the clearing. There were several witches and wizards standing around the clearing, trying to calm the dragons, and for three, it was working. I could see that each of them was guarding a nest of eggs, some more viciously than others. But one—one gigantic black one—wasn't going to be calmed, no matter what they did. She spat fire, she growled, and she bellowed—all to show her displeasure at where she found herself and her eggs.

"My God," I breathed. "They're beautiful." Then I froze. There were four dragons. There were four champions for the tournament. "No," I moaned quietly. "Bella is not going to like this at all."

I looked around at all the dragons. The giant black one was lizard-like in her appearance. She was bigger than the other ones, and she had large bronze spikes on her tail. She was going to be dangerous. I felt for the poor bastard who ended up with that dragon.

The other three, while subdued, were still superior beings. Easily the size of yellow school buses. There was a silvery-blue one, whose snout was shorter than the others. She also had long pointed horns on her head. A beautiful green one that was covered in smoother scales than the other three, and the last one was a stunning red. She had a fringe of fine gold spikes around her face, and when she got displeased with either the giant black dragon or one of the handlers around her nest of eggs, sticks, and rocks, she breathed out mushroom-shaped fire clouds.

"Dragons!" I heard Harry hiss from below me. "The first task is dragons!"

"They are seriously misunderstood creatures," Hagrid argued as I dropped down from the tree. It seemed Madame Maxime had gone ahead to get a closer look.

The gigantic black one breathed out another long stream of fire—easily twenty feet long—as if in protest to Hagrid's words. We all took a few steps backwards.

"Except that one. She is rather ornery." Hagrid shook his head.

"Ornery." I snorted, looking up at our friend and professor. "That one is downright pissed off. She doesn't want to be here doing this. I knew the tasks would be hard, but these animals are dangerous, even to me."

Hagrid sighed. "Look, I brought yeh 'ere so you could see what yer up against, now yeh should get back to the dorms. I need to wrangle Madame Maxime before she outs us."

Harry and I walked back to the Common Room in an almost stunned silence. What were we going to do?

~*~UHS~*~

"Dragons!" Bella shrieked as she got up from her seat in the Room of Requirement and started pacing. "They'll kill you! You can't do it. You have to withdraw from the tournament."

"I can't, Bella. You know that. It's a binding magical contract." I looked around at all of our friends who were here with us. I stood and walked over to her, stopping her pacing. I placed one of my hands on her shoulder and lifted her chin, so she'd look at me, with the other. I spoke at vampire pitch. "Do you remember what real Moody told us? What we've been practicing when nobody is around?"

Surprise flitted over Bella's face at my question before her brows furrowed. "We've been practicing you moving around with my shield shrink-wrapped around you," she answered just as quietly. I could see the minute it dawned on her what she was saying. "He helped us, even back then. He knew then what the first task would be, and he was giving us a subtle hint. Oh, my Merlin! I have to go."

Bella leaped up, kissed my cheek, and then sped out of the Room of Requirement without another word. Not even a thought in my direction. All I could get from her was that she had worked out something to do with the bulletproof vest.

"Where is she going?" Luna asked from her spot next to Ginny.

I shrugged, sitting back in my seat. "Down to my trunk. Something sparked an idea."

"Okay, so what are we going to do to help you guys?" Neville enquired.

"As long as I'm fast enough, I should be fine. We need to concentrate on Harry. What are you good at, Harry?"

Harry threw his hands up in the air. "I have no idea. None. What can I use that will go up against a dragon? Considering we're only able to take our wands."

For the next hour or so, we brainstormed ideas, all while Bella was inside my trunk working on her idea.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly. "Harry can fly. He's an excellent flier."

"But I can't take my broom," Harry moaned.

"No. But you can take your wand, and you can do spells. Call your broom to you," Hermione said excitedly.

"The summoning charm," I jumped in just as excited.

Ginny spoke from her seat across from me. "But we haven't learned that one yet."

"Then I guess we'd better get started. Anyone else want to learn?" I laughed as hands went up all over the room. "I want you all to stand over on that side of the room."

Our band of Misfits stood on the left side of the room while I set up a table a short distance away from them with all manner of objects on it.

"The Summoning Charm, i.e. Accio, is a charm that a caster—you guys—can cast to cause a target"—I pointed at the items on the table—"to levitate or fly over to you. This charm needs thought behind it. The target object must be clear in your mind before you try to summon it. It's one of the oldest spells known to wizardkind.

"Like this." I stood at the end of the line and turned to the table. I found an item and pictured it in my mind then pointed my wand in the table's direction. "Accio quill."

The rainbow-colored quill lifted off the table then flew over to me, only to land in my hand where I directed it. Clapping broke out from my friends, so I bowed to the applause.

"I've laid out an item in front of each of you. I want you to practice picturing that object in your mind, then summoning it like I did. I'll keep a watch out and give you any pointers as you practice."

I found that those with more detail- orientated minds, like Hermione, Bella, or myself, were better at this charm because we were able to think of all the little intricacies that were on the item itself. I knew Harry could think like that—I'd seen him do it—but I noticed that although he was trying, the dragons were distracting him, and rightfully so.

He was afraid, so was I. The dragons were dangerous. Who wouldn't be afraid? But if he were going to master this charm, he was going to have to try to push the thought of them toward the back of his mind.

I let him carry on for a few minutes but interrupted before he could get too frustrated. "You'll get this, Harry. Just take a deep breath in, let it out, and repeat a few times as you clear your mind. Push the thought of the dragons to the back of your mind, then try again."

"I'm trying, but those things are scary," he whispered.

I snorted. "Believe me, I know. Just remember that I'm more flammable than you are. If you catch on fire, people will have a chance to put you out. I'm not sure I'd have even that."

Harry's head snapped up to look at me. He hadn't thought about that; in fact, he hadn't thought about what dragons would mean for me at all. Even with Bella's outburst earlier. But that thought helped him focus. He nodded at me before taking his first of several deep breaths. Once he was more relaxed, he tried again, this time with more success. Sure he didn't get the item of his focus into his hand, but he managed to get it to levitate off the table a few inches and halfway toward him before he dropped it once again.

By the time Bella came back—an hour and a half later—Harry had a good start on learning the Summoning Charm. As did everyone else.

Bella wasn't thinking about her bulletproof vest as she joined in to help teach Hermione, Ginny, and Luna the Summoning Charm, and I wondered if she'd hit another road block for her creation. Alice's vision distressed Bella so much sometimes that she had nightmares I didn't survive the Killing Curse. We'd all been witness to them, so when she had a spark of an idea for it, we left her alone. We also didn't push when she'd finished playing with it.

That didn't mean it didn't drive me batty when she never said anything afterwards.

For the rest of the afternoon, we worked on the Summoning Charm with Harry. He had mastered bringing something to him from a short distance away and had plenty of success when it came to summoning something over several hundred meters, but unfortunately, that was as far as he'd gotten. The farther away something was, the harder it was for him to keep his focus on the object, and it plopped to the ground as if it forgot where it had to go.

"Ugh, I'm never going to get it." Harry huffed as we made our way down for dinner.

"We have a week until the first task, Harry. You'll get there," Bella said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "While we do our homework and study for exams each night, you and Edward can practice the charm."

"You just need to put some oomph into it." Luna laughed.

Harry's shoulders slumped. "Time and practice. Got it."

Hermione smirked as she sat at the Gryffindor table. "Nothing worth doing is ever easy."

~*~UHS~*~

Over the following week, Harry and I took our practice very seriously. He needed to learn the Summoning Charm, and perfect it, if he was going to be calling his broom all the way from Gryffindor tower. I had no doubt he could do the charm, but being able to do it perfectly in a week was going to be a challenge.

When I wasn't working with Harry on summoning, Bella and I were perfecting the use of her shield work. The Room of Requirement had seen more spells and charms over the week than it had in the three years previous to us using it.

A few days before the tournament was due to start, we'd decided, as a group, that we'd done and practiced all we could. So instead of practicing, we were going to relax and just try to enjoy being in the moment.

It was during that break from training that Bella's and my relationship would change again, and this was a change I would never forget.

We'd had an ordinary day at Hogwarts. Breakfast, classes, dinner, and checking up on Moody in his trunk. After that, Bella and I had really gone for a walk around the grounds. I had noticed that Bella had been quieter than normal, but she was still affectionate and spoke to all of us without hesitation.

"Everything okay, beautiful?" I asked as we walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

It was a stunning night. Not a cloud in the sky, stars as far as the eye could see, and all manner of beautiful sounds coming from the forest itself. It was like the world was setting the scene for something stunning to happen.

Bella smiled up at me. This was a different smile than the others she had given me. It was more … just more. "Everything is fine." She spun in front of me, standing with her warm little hands on my chest. "I wanted to thank you for being ever so patient with me, Teddy. I know it must have been hard these last couple of months to stop from kissing me, only because there were times when that was all I wanted to do."

My hands were slowly rubbing up and down her back. I kissed her forehead before drawing backwards. "I told you I would wait until you were ready. I would never push you for anything you aren't ready for."

"I know. And that just made me fall deeper in love with you." Bella's warm hands slid up my chest, over my shoulders, and wrapped around my neck, her fingers ending up in my hair. "I love you, Teddy."

"I love you, Isa. More than my own life."

Bella stared up at me, her gaze warmer than I had ever seen it. The pull was there, stronger than before, but I was still able to fight it. Until Bella lifted up on her toes while pulling my head down toward her.

I closed my eyes as she ran her cute button nose up one side of mine and down the other. Bella pulled away slightly, just far enough that I could still feel her breath but she could look into my eyes. She must have seen what she needed because she, again, lifted up on her toes, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips to mine.

I froze ever so slightly, not enough that she would notice, before I let my eyes fall closed, and my arms pulled her tighter to me. The beautiful, innocent kiss went absolutely no further than what we were doing at that very moment. Sure, we pulled back and pressed a few more closed-mouth pecks on each other's lips, but there was no push for more.

I rested my forehead on Bella's when she pulled back and dropped back onto her heels. I opened my eyes to see hers, full of love, staring back at me.

"Thank you," I breathed.

Bella giggled softly. "Thank you. That had to be the _best_ first kiss in the history of first kisses."

"Don't think I won't be dropping one on you often from now on."

This time, Bella out right laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Just know that I will be doing the same."

"That's a very good thing. I'll be expecting them." I dropped one more on her delectable mouth before picking her up and swinging her around, only to hear her squeal. "Best day in my life so far. Definitely one of my top ten."

"Me too, goof." Bella smacked my arm when I set her down. "Let's go and get ready for bed. I want to sleep in your arms all night tonight."

"Deal, love." I reached out for her hand and held it all the way back to the Common Room.

~*~UHS~*~

The following morning was beautiful. The sun rose in the sky, painting it a beautiful splash of pinks, oranges, and yellows, while my stunning girl blinked awake on my lap. The sun reflected on her brown locks so that it highlighted the golds and reds within it. But it was the look of absolute stunning love that shone out in her eyes as they gazed at me with awe, and the soft smile that lit up her face that made me fall more in love with her.

And now that I didn't have to hold back with my affection, I leaned forwards and pressed a soft, sweet kiss on her smiling lips, causing her to giggle quietly.

"Good morning, my love," I murmured into her hair when she snuggled in under my chin.

"Good morning, Edward."

There was nothing more that needed to be said. We were happy just to bask in the change that had happened between us while we watched the sun rise over the grounds of Hogwarts.

After the sun had risen into the sky, Bella pulled back from her favorite spot and looked up at me. "I'm going to go up to my dormitory and get dressed. I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too, Bella." I kissed her lightly. As she stood and I let her go, I realized we had moved into a different version of those words. They, now, meant something different than what they had even just the day before. It was stronger, more intense, than it had been, and I couldn't be happier about it.

But if it were this intense now, I wondered how much stronger it was going to get once her scent changed for a second time, and we could become fully mated. I wondered if I'd ever be able to keep my hands off her when that time came. And that then led me to wonder how many children we'd end up with if that were the case.

I smiled to myself as I got ready for the day. I would never complain about how many children we had because it was something I never thought I would get.

"Well, aren't you looking cheery this morning?" Hermione laughed as she walked into the Common Room with Ginny. "You have the same smile on your face as Bella does. Something changed, didn't it?"

I shrugged but couldn't keep the smile off my face if I tried. And when Bella came back down the stairs, I could see what Hermione was talking about. The smile on her face was stunning. But what I loved even more was the fact that she didn't even see Hermione and Ginny, she only had eyes for me. Bella walked straight over to me and kissed me directly on the lips.

Bella startled away from me when Ginny and Hermione let out little squeals of delight, almost falling when she spun around.

_I'm sorry,_ Bella thought. _I truly didn't see them._

"It's okay." I chuckled. "They knew something had changed anyway."

"Oh, Bella." Hermione and Ginny sighed dramatically. Then they reached forward and dragged her along with them. Hermione continuing to speak. "You have to tell us everything. How did this happen?"

Bella looked over her shoulder at me as they towed her out of the tower, chattering away at her.

"It's fine, Bella. We'll have plenty of time to continue where we started," I whispered to her as I followed her out through the portrait hole.

Bella was bombarded with questions so fast that she didn't have time to answer them, and when we reached the foyer, Luna joined up with them. It took a few seconds, but once she realized what had happened, she joined in on the interrogation. Bella hadn't actually answered any questions. Her eyes were just jumping from one girl to the other as one asked her a question, then the next one, then the next. It really was quite funny.

Finally, when we sat down at the Gryffindor table—Luna included—the girls tapered off.

"So." Luna sighed dreamily, looking at Bella, who had managed to sit down next to me. "What happened?"

I snickered quietly when I realized all three girls were looking at Bella that way. Bella looked up at my snicker. I kissed her softly on the lips, causing all three of them to sigh.

"Tell them if you want, sweetheart. I'll go sit farther down the table to give you some privacy. I'll call the boys when they come through the door."

"Thank you, Edward."

Almost like it was timed, the minute I stood from the table, Neville, Harry, and the twins walked through the door. I waved them over to me as I took a seat near the front of the hall.

"What are we doing down here? Did you make Bella mad, Edward?" George asked as he took a seat.

I snorted into a laugh. "No. She just wanted to share something with the girls. I wanted to give them the illusion of privacy."

The boys just nodded and reached for the food on the table. That's what I loved about having friends like these—or friends in general—they never pried into something if I didn't elaborate. Or maybe that was just boys. I looked over at Jasper to see that he was fascinated by what was going on, and he wanted to know what I wasn't saying. So he was resorting to listening to Bella tell her story.

Guess it was just my friends then. Family was as nosy as ever.

I had just sat back from eating my breakfast when Athan and Saffy came in with the morning paper. Since Bella had been collecting articles to make her scrapbook, she'd decided we needed two papers instead of waiting for me to read one so she could cut it up.

_This isn't going to be good,_ Athan thought to me as he set the paper down. I gave him a treat, giving him a strange look.

"What isn't, Athan?"

_Just … read the front page. It's going to hit the fan._

Athan took off just as shouting, then sobbing, reached my ears.

"No! Edward, no! She ruined it. She ruined it all!"

I spun to find that Bella was holding The Daily Prophet scrunched in one hand but was surrounded by Ginny, Hermione, and Luna while she sobbed. I didn't stop to think. I was up out of my seat and kneeling behind her before the others had even looked up. I gently turned Bella around so she was looking at me. Although, she fell into my arms sobbing, almost hysterically.

"What happened? You girls were having such a good time."

Instead of answering me, Hermione slid a copy of The Prophet over. Slowly, I stood, pulling Bella up with me. I sat, placing her in my lap as I looked at Hermione. I really, really didn't want to look at the paper.

"You have to, Edward. It'll answer, at least, some of the questions you have." Hermione nodded to the table. "I'm going to go and talk to Professor McGonagall. She's our first teacher, but I think you guys are going to miss transfiguration for today."

"Thank you, Hermione."

Hermione leaned over and kissed Bella's head, then my cheek, before she and the other girls headed for the teachers' table. I could see Esme and Jasper wanting to run over and find out what was going on. Jasper reached over Hagrid and picked up the paper in front of him as I looked down at the one in front of me. The first thing I noticed was the large picture taking up much of the front page. I sucked in a gasp. How the hell did Rita Skeeter get that?

There, on the front page, was a picture of Bella's and my first kiss. I could tell it was the first one due to the movement of both of us. Bella's hands slid from my chest and into my hair, as Bella stood up onto her tiptoes, while both of our eyes closed right before our lips touched, and my hands pulled her closer. It was a stunning shot, and I loved it. And what I saw in that picture was the pure love, adoration, and happiness the two of us were exuding.

It was a picture I would be keeping, but I was so pissed off that she'd printed something that personal and so precious to us.

After studying the picture for a minute, all while rubbing Bella's back and helping her to calm down, I looked to what was written. The title was what caught my eye first.

_IS THE TRUE HOGWARTS' CHAMPION FOCUSSED ON THE TASKS AHEAD?_

She didn't. Rita Skeeter couldn't have written what I thought she had. My eyes dropped to the bottom of the page where there were a few paragraphs.

_It seems that our true Hogwarts' champion, Edward Masen, is running around school making "goo-goo" eyes and kissing his girlfriend, Isabella Swan. _

_This reporter knows that this first task is going to be death-defying, even for our resident immortal vampire wizard. _

_How can he survive—let alone win—the Triwizard Tournament Cup if his mind is on girls? To this reporter, this seems to be a bad idea. _

_Maybe Isabella Swan should leave Edward Masen to concentrate on the tournament alone._

My hand reflexively fisted, scrunching the copy of The Prophet. This woman was insufferable. She had completely neglected everything that kiss meant to the both of us and was trying to pull us apart in the process.

"Shh, Bella. Ignore what this stupid woman says. You know I focus better with you," I whispered in her ear while rocking her and cooing softly in her ear.

_That's not the problem!_ Bella pulled back to look me in the eye while she ranted softly in her mind. _That was our first kiss—ours. She had to have overheard our conversation. It was private, and ours, and she put it on display for all the wizarding world to see. She RUINED IT!_

"Oh, Bella." I pulled her back to me. "No, love. It wasn't ruined. I promise. It was the single most beautiful moment of my life. We had it to ourselves. It would have been ruined if it had been broadcast while it was happening."

"Really? You don't think this"—she pushed the paper away with a finger—"ruins what happened last night?" Bella looked up at me with the most innocent, earnest look on her face.

I shook my head. "Not a chance in hell. Look at the picture. Tell me what you see."

Bella turned around in my lap and really looked at the picture. I could tell she had only glimpsed at it before.

"Love. I see complete and utter love in that picture."

"Exactly. I'm keeping this picture." Bella looked up at me. "This picture captures our moment in breathtaking detail, and it's something I don't just have to remember. I can see it every time I look at this picture.

"While what Rita Skeeter did was despicable, she gave us something too. Not that I'd ever tell her that." I smirked then. "Hopefully, this will alleviate some staring problems, for both of us."

I finally got what I had been looking for—Bella's beautiful giggle.

She sighed. "You're right. This picture will be a perfect reminder of the change in our relationship. I wonder how she got this."

The bell rang for those who didn't have a double. "Doesn't matter. For now, I think we can make it to the second half of transfiguration. What do you reckon?"

"I feel much better. Let's go." Bella kissed me softly on my lips before climbing off my lap. "Thank you, Edward."

"What for?"

"For making me realize that this moment was beautiful, even if it was broadcast to the world." Bella held up a copy of the paper she was rolling up to place in her bag.

"Always, Bella."

~*~UHS~*~

The morning of the first task dawned bright and beautiful, and it wasn't just the sunrise.

Bella had still been a little withdrawn for part of the day after the article Rita had released. But as the day wore on, people came up to us to apologize on behalf of the gossiping biddy—their words, not mine—and congratulate us on a stunning picture. The more people who came up to us, the better Bella became. By the end of the day, she was back to being her beautiful happy self, and I couldn't have been more grateful.

With another night spent in my arms, Bella woke with the sunrise, letting us have the quiet before the craziness of the day fell upon us.

"You think you'll be able to stay calm enough to control your shield?" I asked in a whisper.

"Your life will be in danger, so yes. I'll keep it around you the whole time. I think I've almost figured out the vest too, so that won't take too much longer."

I kissed Bella's head as we were both watching the world become alive out the window. "That's good. I'll wear it with pride, my sweet girl. Feeling better this morning?"

"Much. I think it was mostly the shock of seeing something so intimate out there for the world to see."

"I can understand that. And don't worry, we'll figure out how she's doing it. But for now, Rita Skeeter is not important."

Bella giggled and looked over at the picture frame on my desk. It held the picture from the paper. "No. She isn't important, and she never will be."

Once we heard the others in Gryffindor tower start to get up, we dressed and made our way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Are you nervous about today?" Bella asked as she piled on the pancakes that had appeared in front of her.

I shrugged. "Yeah and no." I sighed. "I have you protecting me, so for that, no, I'm not nervous. I'm nervous about the other contestants being hurt."

Bella frowned. "Do you think our family will have trouble if they bleed?"

"No. No, that's not what I meant. I just don't want them to be hurt. Could you imagine the kinds of injuries that these"—I lowered my voice to a whisper—"dragons would do to a person?"

"I've been trying very hard not to think about it. Thank you very much. But I get what you mean. The potential for today being disastrous is really high. Do you think I should protect the others?"

I shook my head. "They have the advantage of not bursting into flames if hit with fire. Keep your shield to yourself."

Bella smiled. "And around you."

I kissed her lips softly. "Yeah."

The others arrived then for breakfast, making our conversation bigger because Hermione had the same questions for not only me, but Harry too. Poor Harry. He was nervous about this upcoming task—immeasurably so—but was about as ready as he was ever going to be.

Harry was quiet once they'd finished interrogating him but not worried. He looked around at all of us in our group and realized he wasn't going into this task alone. He had the support of all of us, his family, and the extended family in the Weasleys and the Cullens.

Harry smiled. _I can do this,_ he thought and looked at me.

"That you can, Harry. Let's bring this cup home for Hogwarts."

Those around us cheered, the twins being the loudest, which made Harry and me laugh. We were all interrupted by the arrival of Athan and Saffy with the papers.

_Good luck, Edward, _Athan thought as he landed in front of me. _I'd watch, but I don't want to get too close to something that could eat me in one bite._

I chuckled. "Thank you, Athan. And I don't blame you. I'm sure you'll hear all about it from the tower anyway."

_No doubt. Wish Harry luck for me and from Saffy._

"Will do." I looked over to see Bella's little owl getting loved on by all the girls before they took off back out of the hall. "The owls wish you luck, Harry."

Everyone laughed as Harry thanked Athan, Saffy, and Hedwig before they flew off.

"Ohhhh, I can't wait to see today's Prophet!" Hermione said excitedly as she pulled a copy toward her and flipped it open.

"Why's that?" Neville asked.

Hermione smirked. "I want to see if they printed my letter."

Luna snickered from the other side of her. "Oh, Hermione, what did you say?"

"And did you send it only to The Prophet?" Ginny laughed.

"Of course not!" Hermione sang.

In excitement, we all pulled our copies of The Prophet toward us and flipped them open to see what we could find.

I looked over the front page carefully. There was an article about the first task and more information on the four champions. It was when I flipped over the page that I found not just Hermione's letter but several others sticking up for Bella's and my relationship.

"Oh, wow," Bella whispered from next to me. "_To The Daily Prophet, I am writing in response to Rita Skeeter's last article about Isabella Swan and Edward Masen. What she did was not right. She shared information that should have only been for Edward and Bella, and then insinuated that they should not be together due to the tournament. I will no longer be using Skeeter as a source of information about the Triwizard Tournament or its champions. Signed, a concerned student of Hufflepuff house."_

Ginny leaned forward. "Listen to this one: _Daily Prophet, as a champion for the Triwizard Tournament, I am truly disappointed in the professionalism of your reporter. The articles have been mediocre at best, and gossip at worst. She is nothing but a sensationalist. And the article written yesterday about Edward Masen and Isabella Swan truly disgusts me. I shall read _The Truth_ from now on. At least, their articles are full of exactly that, the truth. Signed, One of the Four Triwizard Champions._

We took turns reading several letters to The Daily Prophet, all except for Hermione's because it seemed they didn't want to print hers. Not all of the letters were in support of us either. There were several parents who had written in that didn't agree with my "starting" something right before the first task, or Bella for pursuing me at this stage either.

"Obviously, they don't read The Truth," Neville muttered from behind his paper.

"Aha! Found it," Bella crowed. "_Dear Editor of The Truth, I have sent this letter to you on the chance that The Daily Prophet will not print it in their paper come the morning. I only hope that you will convey my message if they do not._

"_Rita Skeeter is a hack. Her style of reporting is worse than muggle gossip rags. Their paparazzi might even write better than she does. I have the honor of knowing Isabella Swan and Edward Masen for the 'mates' that they are, and the article she wrote in the last paper showed an abhorrent lack of privacy for a moment that was clearly ONLY for them. Isabella and Edward's relationship is the goal that I work toward every day. I can only hope that when my time comes I have something as beautiful as they do. Signed, Hermione._"

"That was beautiful, Hermione. Although, I'm not sure you should have signed it with your actual name," I said as I read it again over Bella's shoulder. "She might come after you next."

Hermione shrugged. "Let her. I plan on finding out how she witnessed that moment between you two without you knowing about it. There was no way you would have not noticed a camera going off."

"It's something we've been wondering as well. We just don't want you to get into trouble." Bella hugged her.

"We won't." Neville argued with us. He pointed at Harry and me. "You guys have the tournament to worry about, and Bella has that thing we know you're going to need for the final task. So let the four of us worry about this woman. We'll figure it out." Neville indicated to himself, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna.

"We're in on that too," Fred said as he slid down the bench to sit next to Luna. "We'll all help."

I heard Bella sniffle, so I wrapped my arm around her. "We really have the best friends and family someone could ask for."

Harry and I beamed at her.

I chuckled. "As Emmett would say 'hell, yeah, we do!'"

Everyone broke out into laughter as the special bell rang for the spectators to get down to the stadium that had been placed on the grounds.

Bella leaned up and kissed me. "Kick ass, Edward! Good luck, Harry."

The others wished us luck as they filed past us because we had to wait there for Professor McGonagall. The four of us gathered at the front of the hall where the teachers' table was placed. It didn't take long for all the students to file out and Professor McGonagall to come in.

"Are you ready, champions?" Professor McGonagall asked once she was in front of us.

"As ready as we'll ever be," I answered when it seemed nobody else was going to.

McGonagall smiled at my attempt to be cheerful. "Then follow me. I'll take you to the tent where you will stay until it is your turn."

We followed Professor McGonagall through the massive doors of the castle and out onto the grounds. She led us around the castle to what used to be the open area between Hagrid's hut and the Quidditch pitch. In its place was now the stadium set for this first task. The stadium was just as big as the Quidditch pitch, only round, and had several hundred places for the spectators to be. I could hear all the students, teachers, and spectators invited to the event talking, laughing, and cheering in the stands. The noise level was insane even from the outside. I could only imagine what it was like inside the stadium itself.

Professor McGonagall stopped at the flap of a large green and yellow tent. "Before I open this, I wanted to wish you all good luck. These tasks are designed to test you all, this one especially. Please be careful."

"Thank you, Professor," the four of us stated together.

Professor McGonagall pulled the flap aside and allowed us to enter. Once we were through, she let it close, leaving us alone with each other and our thoughts. I looked around to see that the tent had a large open space in the center with a set of stairs, leading down into the ground to a tunnel, and four beds. One placed in each corner, separated by a curtained wall.

Viktor Krum took a seat on the bed decorated with the Durmstrang colors, Fleur took a seat on one of the chairs. Harry, who was in his Quidditch uniform, paced around the tent while I stood over to the side where another flap was located. I was dressed in a uniform that Bella had helped Alice design in the lead up to the first task. It was designed around the suit Alice had made me for that ill-fated Thanksgiving last year. Suit pants, a white shirt, and a black vest with the red and gold sequined lion on the back. I had a feeling that my magic-proof vest was going to have one on the back as well, just to make sure no one could tell the difference.

There were no teachers or judges waiting for us in the tent, so I figured now we had to wait.

~*~UHS~*~

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**Hmm ... what say you today? I look forward to your thoughts.**

**See you in a fortnight!**


	12. Chapter Eleven - The First Task

**Hello everyone! First week of work completed, and boy am I beat. It was a great week, and I'm looking forward to continue learning, working, and helping the little ones in my care. I hope your weeks/fortnights were just as good!**

**A big thanks to Pienuniek and Sally, I would be lost without either one of them, and these chapters would not be as pretty.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to SM and JK Rowling, respectively. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Now it's time for some dragons, see you at the bottom ...**

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**Chapter Eleven – The First Task**

It took me a few minutes to realize the reason we had to wait was because the stadium was still filling up with people. It seemed we had to be kept separated from the rest of the population. I wondered why. I mean, it's not like we could cheat now.

Harry was still pacing while Fleur and Krum were sitting patiently. I could tell from Fleur's thoughts that she wasn't one hundred percent focused on the task ahead because she was trying to figure out what she wanted to say to Bella. I still didn't know why she wanted to talk to her though, and it was bugging the hell out of me.

_Edward?_

I frowned. "Bella? Where are you?"

_We're out here._ Bella pulled the flap on the back of the tent and stepped through with Hermione at her heels.

Bella flew into my arms, and Hermione ran to Harry. It was at that moment Rita Skeeter and her photographer stepped through the other doorway, followed closely by Sirius and Colin Creevey. Both photographers took photos in quick succession of the champions. I looked up only to see the Rita had another Quick Quote Quill and pad floating next to her.

"Ahh, young love, how … stirring." Rita smiled to herself only to freeze at the looks she was receiving from not only Bella and Hermione but the four champions as well.

"We do not want you in here." Viktor stood from the bed he had sat on. "You are terrible reporter. He may stay,"—Viktor pointed at Sirius—"but we no want you here."

"Ze tent is for champions, friends, and real reporters. You should leave," Fleur hissed. "Did you not get zat from all ze letters sent to Ze Daily Prophet and Ze Truth?"

Sirius snickered from the spot he'd claimed in the corner. "Seems you're not very popular, Rita. I did tell you that your style of reporting would not be appreciated when it came to these champions."

"The Daily Prophet is the only paper that has been invited to report on the Triwizard Tournament, so they need me here." Rita's nose was in the air, trying to make herself seem more important. "I don't know why you're here, Sirius. Nobody reads your tiny pamphlet."

There were snorts of laughter from around the tent from all but Bella. She had her head tilted to the side in the way that I knew she was seeing something we weren't.

"You really are a sad little person, aren't you?" Bella spoke up, silencing everyone. "You know, Edward and I have met a couple of people just like you. They thought highly of themselves, they were obnoxiously rude and arrogant, and you know what? That was their biggest downfall. I'd remember that before you print something about me and mine again like you did yesterday."

I could tell from Sirius and the others standing in front of Bella that her eyes had changed again. Rita Skeeter really pissed Bella off, not that I blamed her.

The silence was interrupted by Professor Dumbledore and the other judges—Madame Maxime, Karkaroff, Bagman, and Barty Crouch—walking into the tent from behind us.

"Gather round, everyone," Dumbledore said, indicating the circle he wanted us in.

Sirius, Rita, and the two photographers stepped back so they weren't in the way. But what I found funny was that it took Dumbledore another look around the tent to realize we had too many people in the room.

"Miss Swan, Miss Cullen, what are you doing in here?" he asked, looking at Bella and Hermione.

"We … are … we were just leaving." Hermione grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her to the door that they walked through earlier.

Bella looked over her shoulder at me one last time. _Good luck, Teddy. Be careful._

I nodded to let her know I heard her, then turned my attention back to Barty Crouch, who had taken center stage in the circle.

"You know we're all here for the first task. But what you don't know is what you're about to face. Each one of you needs to collect a golden egg. But that golden egg has been placed in a nest amongst other eggs, and it is being guarded by … a dragon." Crouch waited for the appropriate gasps that the others pretended to give him.

Ludo Bagman pulled a purple silk bag from his pocket and opened the top, only to have several puffs of smoke float from the opening. "In this bag is a replica of the dragons you will compete against. Each one of you will reach in and pull out a dragon, and each dragon has a number around its neck. That number will indicate the order in which you will compete for your egg." Bagman held the bag out to Fleur. "Ladies first."

Fleur looked up to Madame Maxime, who stood behind her, for reassurance. Madame Maxime placed her hand on Fleur's shoulder in comfort. With a shaky hand, Fleur reached into the purple silk bag, and when she pulled her hand out, there was a moving replica of the smooth green dragon from the clearing, clinging to her.

"You pulled the Common Welsh Green, my dear." Ludo reached out and fingered the number around its neck. "And according to this, you will be the second one to test your mettle."

Ludo moved on to Viktor, who was next in the circle. Viktor reached in without hesitation and pulled his hand out just as fast. Attached to his hand was the stunning red dragon with the gold spikes around its head.

"The Chinese Fireball, oooh. A strong dragon that one. You will be the third champion to try for his egg." Ludo reached out for me next. "Your turn, Mr. Masen."

I could feel Professor Dumbledore standing between Harry and me with one of his hands on each of our shoulders. He must have known I was concerned because he squeezed my shoulder just enough. There were only two dragons left in the pouch. The silvery blue one and the big black mad one. I hoped for Harry's sake that I pulled the black one.

I looked over at Ludo as I reached in. I could feel both of them crawling around the bag, neither of them afraid of what I might be. It was like they couldn't tell the difference. When one of them crawled over my palm, I closed my hand around it and pulled it from the bag. Once clear, I opened it up to see the silvery blue one.

My shoulders slumped slightly as I realized that poor Harry would end up with the nastiest one of all. I heard his sharp intake of breath as he realized the same thing.

"The Swedish Short-Snout. A beautiful but deadly animal. Be careful, Mr. Masen. Especially considering you will be out there first," Ludo said before moving the bag on. "Mr. Potter, if you wouldn't mind."

Slower than I thought possible, Harry reached in to pull out the last dragon. The big black scary one with bronze spikes on his tail.

"The Hungarian Horntail, a nasty piece of work," Ludo whispered, trying to make it seem all the scarier. "You will be last, Mr. Potter."

Ludo stepped back so that Barty Crouch could step to the front again.

"Now that you have your dragon, and your order, we will leave you to your thoughts. When the canon goes off, Mr. Masen will take the stairs and enter into the stadium from underneath. The canon won't sound until the judges and reporters,"—Crouch frowned over at Rita Skeeter, but nodded at Sirius—"are in position to see the task to judge. Good luck!"

Crouch and Ludo walked over to the tent flap they had come in through, Ludo walking straight out while Crouch beckoned for Rita and Sirius to follow. Once they were gone, Professor Dumbledore pulled both Harry and me over to the far side of the tent.

Dumbledore sighed quietly. "I want to tell you how proud I am of both of you. Edward, for entering in the first place. I had hoped but I didn't want to influence you. And, Harry, for taking on this challenge with the grace that you have. I'm glad you have such a friend in Edward and that you can count on each other, and your friends, to help you through this. I know you will do well. Good luck to both of you."

"Thank you, sir." We both stood there, nodding together. That made us chuckle nervously at each other; even Dumbledore cracked a smile. I continued. "We'll do you proud."

"You already have. Edward, if you are quick enough, after your turn, you should be able to watch the rest of them complete their turns."

"I plan too. Have to cheer on my fellow Gryffindor." I shoulder bumped Harry, who smirked at me.

"Good. Again, good luck and see you out there." Dumbledore patted us both on the shoulder before turning and walking out the same door Ludo and Crouch had gone through.

All the champions stood quietly while their headmaster or mistress left to go to the stands.

"I just want to wish you all luck. This is much harder than I expected." Krum stepped forward with his hand out to me.

"Me too," I said with a grimace while shaking Krum's hand. "For a magical competition, it's a lot more than I expected. But good luck to you Viktor,"—I held my hand out to Fleur—"and to you too. I wish you nothing but the best."

"You too, and you az well, 'arry. I think ze most important thing we can do iz to support each uzzer." Fleur actually reached forward and hugged Harry. "I do not think it iz fair that one zo young 'az to compete."

Harry nodded. "I appreciate that, Fleur. Someone wanted me in this tournament, and now I'll have to compete. Let's just get through this first task."

Almost as if Harry commanded it, the canon shot off the starting ball. I nodded once more to my fellow champions and turned for the stairs.

I was in absolutely no hurry to get out there and face my dragon, so I took the steps at a human pace, as well as the rocky tunnel underneath. It looked like it had been carved with a laser because the walls were that smooth. Yet you could see where the rocks should have been pointing out from the wall and ceiling. Once I rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs, I could see the opening of the tunnel and the bottom of the stadium in front of me.

I froze for a moment, taking in the sight in front of me. I could see a path running around the outside of the habitat they had created. As I crept forward, I could see more, like the rocks and boulders strategically placed around the habitat, as well as some logs, small bushes—although I didn't see them lasting long with fire-breathing dragons in the pen—and I could even hear some water flowing. It was certainly an elaborate setup.

The talking and screaming changed tune once some of the spectators saw me approach the end of the tunnel. For a moment, it grew silent while they tried to figure out which champion was coming out first. Once they figured it out though, the chanting started. Softly at first, then louder, as more people saw me walk into the doorway.

"_Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward!_"

I shook my head to try to clear the amount of thoughts that were being crammed into my head as I peered around the edge of the doorframe to take in the massive stadium and habitat, all while looking to see where not only the dragon was, but Bella too.

As if she heard me thinking of her, Bella's voice rang out in my head. _Straight ahead, Edward. About halfway up the stands._

I followed her directions to see her standing there with Hermione, Luna, and Ginny. Neville, Fred, and George were on the stand up and behind them. What I hadn't noticed when Bella came to me in the tent earlier was what she was wearing. Bella had on a pair of hip-hugging jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a female replica of the vest over the top. If I could have seen the back, I had no doubt it would have a lion embroidered onto the back.

_I have my shield already wrapped around you. You're good to go._

I threw my girl a wink because I had felt her shield wrap around me, all thoughts but hers fell away, and I could feel myself relax the longer I couldn't hear anything. Well that, and I could feel her love for me wrapping around me, comforting me like nothing else could. Now, I would be able to step out with my head held high.

I peeked out from around the doorframe to check out my surroundings. It didn't take long to find the silvery blue dragon I was going up against. She wasn't paying attention to me as yet, and for that, I was thankful.

I took a few steps out of the tunnel and into the line of sight of everyone in the stands. The moment that I became visible, the sound tripled. Screaming, foot stomping, and all kind of loud paraphernalia were used to tell me they were there for me. I was pretty sure I could also hear some muggle Vuvuzela horns, noise ratchets, and cowbells amongst the cacophony of noise coming from above me.

I used my stealth and speed to maneuver my way around the habitat, without drawing the attention of the dragon, so I could see what I was up against. Once I'd mapped out all the hiding places and located where the nest with the golden egg was—where they'd placed the dragon's other eggs so she'd protect them with ferocity—I made my way back to the door I came through.

Once there, the noise tapered off as they waited to see what I was going to do next. I was going to do something as simple as pelting a rock at the dragon's head, but I didn't want to hurt her. So I changed it up to see what kind of reaction I could get from an animal that could potentially kill me. I was curious by nature, after all. Plus, I wanted the reaction from the crowd.

I leapt up onto a boulder in the dragon's line of sight. I watched as she smelled the air around her, trying to pick up my scent. And I could see when she found it because her reaction would have been visible to even human eyes. She shuddered, her short-snout wrinkling in disgust. In fact, it reminded me a lot of how the wolves from La Push reacted to us. Only the dragon lifted back up on to her hind legs, spread her wings out as wide as they would go, and roared into the sky before she let out a long stream of fire. Everyone in the stands cringed backwards at the dragon's reaction.

But me? I stood still. She was trying to intimidate me, and I wasn't going to let her. I waited until she had finished her bellowing and fell back down onto her front legs. The dragon gave me her version of the stink eye. Instead of backing down, like I'm sure she wanted, I took in a deep breath and released my loudest, longest, most menacing growl. It was so loud, because I was lower in the stadium than she was, that it echoed around, making it seem that much longer and that much louder.

The dragon froze for a split second. I would have loved to have heard her thoughts but couldn't risk having Bella lift her shield. After that split second though, the dragon pulled back slightly before attempting to burn me where I stood. Unfortunately for her, I was faster than the jet of flames she sent in my direction. I could tell she was smug when the flames disappeared to show that I wasn't there. It was in the way she held her large frame.

That was until I whistled to get her attention. I had moved at vampire speed to another position in the stadium. The dragon's head snapped around to see what was calling her attention, and she positively glared at me when she realized I was still alive. For the next few seconds, that was all she did. We had a stare off, one alpha predator to another, until she decided to breathe fire at me again.

This time when the fire had disappeared, she didn't wait to see if I was dead. The dragon looked around and found me in a completely different spot than where I had been. For the next few minutes, we played the game. She was a stubborn one, not wanting to leave her nest. Eventually, I could tell that my actions were getting to her. She was quicker to turn after breathing fire at me, more often than not before she'd finished. Which had me making runs toward her from the side because she'd spin to follow me.

It was on one of these runs toward her that she slipped farther away from her nest, giving me the opening I needed. I sprinted past her, faster than she could follow, and snatched the golden egg right out of the nest. By the time she found me again, I was up in the stands, getting my winner's kiss from Bella while holding said egg high in the air.

At the same time the dragon once again roared into the sky, the spectators roared their own approval throughout the stands. The clapping was louder than ever before as was the screaming, yelling, and noise making.

"Edward Masen gets the egg!" Ludo Bagman screamed over all the noise. "Well done, Edward. Now for the judges' scores!"

The dragon trainers came out to start trying to subdue the Swedish Short-Snout while the judges were deciding on scores. I smirked because she was going to give them shit for a while.

This time, it was Lee Jordan who was making the announcement as the scores were placed on a magical scoreboard over the door I came through earlier. "And the scores are: Professor Dumbledore with nine. Ludo Bagman with eight. Barty Crouch with eight. Madame Maxime with seven, and Headmaster Karkaroff with seven. That gives Edward a total of thirty-eight to beat!"

Ludo Bagman came back to take over the speaking duties. "Edward, if you could please make your way to the medical tent for a once over while we reset the stadium for the next champion."

Bella wouldn't let go of my hand, so we made our way down through the stadium to the side where the medical tent was set up only to find Professor McGonagall waiting there.

"Congratulations, Mr. Masen." Professor McGonagall patted my arm. "You did a fabulous job. I think you deserved a better score."

I shrugged, then smiled. "I'm just glad I wasn't turned to dust."

"Yes, well. Come in and let Madam Pomfrey check you over." Bella and I followed McGonagall into the first aide tent where I had a very quick check because there was not one area on me that was singed, thanks to my very beautiful girl. She had released her shield on the way to the tent so I could be looked over.

"You're in excellent shape, Mr. Masen. Not a mark on you. I'd say your fairy godmother was looking over your shoulder today," Madam Pomfrey said as she put her things away.

I winked at Bella, making her giggle. "You have no idea, Madam Pomfrey. No idea."

"Off you go then. Enjoy the rest of the task."

I pulled Bella along with me as we made our way back out into the stadium and back to where the rest of our friends were waiting to pounce on me. Before we entered though, I pulled Bella to a stop.

"Edward? What are you doing? We're going to miss the next one!"

I pulled her to me and kissed her lips once more. "You look beautiful. I'm sorry I didn't notice your outfit before." I tugged on the end of her vest.

"Oh? You like?" Bella spun in front of me to show me the back. I'd been right. There was a lion embroidered in sequins on the back, but there was also another addition. She had "Masen" across her shoulder blades.

I growled possessively—I couldn't help it. To see my name across her back stirred something in me. I pulled her to me again, kissing her as passionately as I could with a closed mouth. I was able to control that much at least.

"Oh, wow," Bella whispered when I managed to pull back. "I want more of those."

I snickered and pulled my swooning girlfriend behind me as I made my way back into the stadium. "Keep wearing something like that and you'll probably get them."

Bella laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

I was right. The minute we were back to where Bella had been standing, everyone else pounced, asking me questions so fast that I couldn't answer them. It was my laugh that got them to stop.

"Slow down, guys. Let's wait until the task is over, then you can ask Harry and me all the questions you want."

They laughed with me before we were interrupted by Ludo Bagman.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time. The stadium has been reset, and the next dragon has been brought inside. Please welcome the Common Welsh Green."

"Did he do this before me?" I whispered to Bella.

"Yeah. Didn't you hear him?"

I shook my head. "No. I was talking to the others."

There was mild clapping from around the stadium. It seemed that the others were now realizing just how dangerous this tournament was going to be.

"When you are ready, Mr. Filch!"

The canon sounded when Ludo said his name, calling my attention to a platform high above the stadium. It rocked violently with the aftershocks of the blast from the canon, but no ball was shot out of the end. A magical canon. Why I was surprised, I had no clue. You'd think I'd be used to this sort of thing by now.

It didn't take long for Fleur to find herself at the end of the tunnel leading into the stadium. She wasn't as cautious as I had been. The only time Fleur paused was before she stepped into the habitat to check where her dragon was located. Again, the dragon was guarding her nest. Only this time instead of standing around, she was curled around the eggs, checking all directions by continuously moving her head and every so often letting out small puffs of fire as a warning.

Fleur crept around for a couple minutes to get herself into the best place for what she had planned. There were too many "voices" for me to be able to pick out anyone other than Bella's, so I was in as much suspense as the rest of the spectators.

We watched Fleur keep an eye on her dragon as she carefully pulled her wand out of her pocket, took aim, and fired off a spell that hit the dragon spectacularly in the center of her chest. The dragon blinked, huffed, and then blinked again. Ever so slowly, its eyes closed, and its head lowered onto its paws. The whole thing was wrapped around the nest of eggs as it fell asleep.

"Smart girl," Bella whispered from next to me. "She's gotta have some power behind that wand."

"Fleur is a Veela. She has a hair from her grandmother as the core of her wand."

"Huh. Interesting." Bella paused as Fleur snuck out from her hiding spot and made her way toward the dragon. "Did she say anything about any other relatives?"

"No. Sorry, sweetheart."

Bella shrugged, trying to portray that she didn't care. But I knew she did. What she longed for was not Renee but some semblance of family. Ours was great, but she would love to have some relatives of her own. It was something I wished I could give her.

We watched as Fleur made her way up to the nest where the dragon was now sleeping—it took a few minutes with all the noise in the stadium but Bella and I heard the quietest hint of humming from Fleur. She was discreetly using her Veela powers—and just as she was reaching for the egg, the dragon snored a little too hard, letting out a puff of fire and setting Fleur's skirt on fire.

There was a series of gasps from all the spectators. Mostly because her skirt caught on fire pretty quickly. If it weren't for the fact that Bella and I had excellent hearing, we might not have heard the almost silent squeal Fleur let escape. Instead of panicking, she lifted her wand and pointed it at the flames. With a whispered "Aguamenti", she doused the flames. Fleur took the final few steps into the nest, picked up the golden egg, made her way out of the nest, and held the egg aloft.

"Well done, Fleur Delacour!" Bagman shouted over the explosion of sound around the stadium. "You have completed the task and retrieved the golden egg!"

"And now for the judge's scores," Lee continued after Bagman was finished. He was silent as they all conferred. "The scores are: Professor Dumbledore with an eight. Ludo Bagman gives her an eight. Barty Crouch also gives her an eight. Madame Maxine with a nine, and Headmaster Karkaroff also with a nine! Congratulations Fleur you have a score of forty-two to beat!"

Ludo's loud voice rang out once more over the noise of cheering and celebrating. "Off you go, Fleur, to the medical tent so we can reset for the next champion!"

Fleur walked out the door toward the medic tent, giving us a wave as she did so. When she had gone, we watched as a half dozen or so witches and wizards came out into the stadium and levitated the sleeping dragon and her eggs out while several others brought in the eggs of the next dragon with her huffing and puffing behind them. I, as well as several others in the stadium, could tell she wasn't happy having her eggs manhandled the way they were. Krum's dragon was the beautiful red one with the golden fringe around its head. She was the one that had been releasing mushroom shaped fire the other night.

I wondered why she wasn't burning them with her fire breath.

Bella gasped in shock. _They've muzzled her!_

"I'm not surprised." I chuckled, causing Bella to frown up at me. "Would you want flames burning your ass as you carried in a dragon's eggs?"

Bella smiled. _Well, no. _

"It doesn't hurt them. It just stops them from hurting the handlers. Muggles do it to dangerous dogs all the time. They'll take it off in a minute."

I could hear the others chatting all around us. For the most part, they left us alone. It had been a stressful situation, and they knew that Bella and I had to connect to settle the bond between us.

"When is Harry coming out?" Hermione asked quietly from the other side of Bella.

I looked at her over Bella's head. "He's the last one. So we still have Krum to go next."

"Thank you, handlers!" Ludo boomed out across the stadium. "This next dragon is the Chinese Fireball. She is going to give the next champion a run for their money! When you are ready, Mr. Filch!"

It didn't take long for Filch to fire the canon once more. And from the look on his face, he was thoroughly enjoying it. For someone who was quite ornery, most of the time, it took so little to make him happy.

People all over the stadium were speculating about who was going to come out of the tunnel next, and they weren't disappointed. Krum stalked out of the doorway without even checking where the dragon had been stationed. Granted, he stalked to somewhere he could hide, but the minute he had walked through the door, his dragon had already seen him. She was not happy about being chained to the ground, nor was she happy about someone being anywhere near her eggs.

Instead of wasting time, Krum peered around the boulder he had hidden behind. He ducked back and pulled his wand as the dragon let out a stream of fire in his direction. But the second it was gone, he stepped out and fired a charm. The crowd gasped when the charm that Krum had fired hit the dragon in the eye, causing it to roar out in pain before she started to move around erratically.

Bella and I thought that when the dragon settled down she would bolt after Krum like a hellhound. But instead of calming down, she only got more riled up, and in the process, she trampled all over the eggs she had in her nest.

When the dragon had realized what she had done, she wailed out in pain. She then collapsed in on herself and seemed to cry over the fact that she'd killed her young.

The only egg left standing was the golden egg, and the dragon seemed to know that it wasn't one of hers because she didn't even flinch when Krum walked over to take the egg from what was left of her nest.

There was only mild clapping when Krum held the egg aloft instead of the roaring cheering there had been for myself and Fleur. In fact, I heard more sniffles from the girls—and women—around the stadium due to the severe distress the dragon was now suffering. She was mourning her children, and they mourned right along with her.

"Krum gets the golden egg!" Ludo said loudly, trying to pull the crowd from the quiet that had descended. "Let's see what the judges have to say."

Lee Jordan stood to take Ludo Bagman's place as Ludo walked over to confer with the other judges. Once they turned around, Lee held his wand to his neck. "And the judges have made their decisions. Let's start with the usual: Professor Dumbledore has given a six. Ludo Bagman gives Krum a seven. Barty Crouch gives him a seven. Madame Maxime has given a six, while Professor Karkaroff gives his champion a ten! Viktor Krum has put himself in third place with a score of thirty-six points!"

The crowd clapped again, a little more enthusiastic than before but still not as loud.

"Thank you, Viktor. Please make your way to the medical tent so we can reset the arena!"

Our group was quiet as the handlers came in to corral the poor dragon out of the stadium. She was so depressed that she didn't even try to argue with them. She just followed along as they pulled the chain.

"That poor dragon." Bella sniffled. "She'll never get over that."

I pulled her into my side. "Maybe Charlie will let you help her later? We can always ask."

"Charlie Weasley is here?"

"Yeah." I snickered. "He helped bring the dragons here for the tournament."

"Oh, that's cool. Do you really think he'll let me?" Bella asked, looking at me hopefully.

I nodded. "He knows what you can do. He's met Cortesia, so I don't see why not. We'll go after the task is finished and see what he says."

"Okay," Bella whispered.

We were both quiet, just listening to our friends start chatting again. Bella leaned her head against my shoulder, and I kissed the top of it. Just relishing in being together.

"Hey, Edward?"

"Yes, George?"

"Are you gonna place a bet on who's gonna win the tournament?"

I spun around to face them with my mouth wide open. Bella had stood up the second I'd started to turn.

"You're placing bets on us?" The twins nodded. "You did this before today?" They nodded again. "And you're still going to bet, even after today?"

Fred laughed. "Especially because of today. Who knew the tasks would be this fascinating! So are you going to place a bet? Emmett did, but Jasper didn't because he's a teacher."

The bark of laughter that came out of me was loud. Although, I wasn't totally surprised that Emmett had placed a bet.

"Ugh, no. I don't think so. Besides, I would only bet on myself, and maybe Harry. I'll give it a miss this time."

Neville chuckled from next to me. "I don't blame you. In saying that, I placed a galleon down on you, Edward. So do me proud."

Everyone laughed.

"I'll do my be …" I trailed off because the trainers were attempting to bring in Harry's dragon—the big black one—and they weren't having much success.

"Oh, my God," Hermione whispered.

"That thing is not happy," Ginny mumbled. "That's Harry's dragon?"

"Yeah. I hope he's ready because she's a nasty piece of work." I leaned on the railing in front of me.

Ludo's voice boomed over the racket that the dragon was making as the trainers were bringing in her eggs. "I want you to welcome to the stadium the fourth and final dragon, the Hungarian Horntail! Now, we all know that Harry Potter is the final contestant left in this task, and he has a big job ahead of him because this big black dragon has a tail full of sharp bronze spikes that he has to watch out for!"

Bella looked up at me. "Harry's really going to have to move. That dragon is going to come after him. She's not going to stay still."

"Yeah." I sighed. "Fingers crossed."

Bella snorted. "Fingers crossed. How muggle of you, Mr. Masen."

The trainers finally got the angry dragon into the stadium and chained to the ground so she couldn't fly away, but that didn't stop her stomping around, roaring her displeasure and burning everything in sight.

I hoped to God that Harry was going to get through this in one piece.

"When you are ready, Mr. Filch! Let Harry know it's his turn!"

Filch fired the canon before Ludo had even stopped talking. Bella and I chuckled at the look on his face when he realized he wasn't going to get to fire the canon again today. But instead of climbing down like we had expected him to, Filch leaned on the railing in front of him so he could watch the proceedings from the highest point in the stadium.

Harry seemed to be more cautious than any of us as he stuck his head out from the tunnel, only to pull it back in just as quick. The dragon he was facing had seen where he was going to come from and brought its tail down when she'd seen Harry poke his head out.

The crowd all gasped out loud, some of them screaming. None of this distracted the dragon from watching where Harry was going to come out, nor from letting out long jets of fire at anything that moved.

Harry peeked out once more, then quickly ducked out of the tunnel and into the arena. For the next little bit, he moved around from boulder to boulder, trying to get closer to where we were standing, but also to get a direct line of sight of the castle. Once he was in position, he flicked the wand out from the gauntlet on his arm.

With my excellent hearing, I could tell it wasn't the only wand that was released. My eyes flicked over to see that Hermione had also released her wand, and the second that Harry stepped around his boulder and pointed his wand toward the castle, Hermione imitated him.

"Accio Firebolt!" Harry shouted while Hermione whispered it. She wouldn't look at Bella or me. She knew she was cheating, but she couldn't help it. Harry hadn't been able to master the charm enough to be able to call it from the castle, and Hermione knew that. They had both devised this little plan together to at least get it within Harry's range.

The dragon had released another jet of fire toward Harry, making him duck back around the boulder he was hiding behind. Once the flames were gone, he looked back around, and we all looked in the direction of the castle. It took a minute or so, but we all saw the approach of Harry's broom, and the second it was in his range, Harry cast the spell quietly again, with Hermione releasing hers.

"That's cheating, you know," Bella whispered.

Hermione snorted. "Like you didn't cover Edward with your shield, Bella. I knew you would be keeping him from burning to a crisp."

Bella only giggled in response.

We watched in complete fascination as the Firebolt soared through the air, around the dragon, and zigzagged around the boulder, all so Harry could jump and land on it as it flew in the direction Harry had been facing. And every single person in the stadium cheered at the top of their lungs as Harry raced off with a stream of flames behind him as the dragon tried to stop him from escaping.

As Harry flew around the stadium, keeping the attention of the dragon and the crowd, he managed to have a close call with the tail end of the dragon. During the close call with the spikes on its tail, Harry's robes were ripped, exposing part of Harry's arm. But it wasn't just an exposed arm. I could smell it as soon as it happened, as well as see Harry reach over and put pressure on his arm.

Bella gasped. "Oh, no!"

"What? What is it?" Hermione asked frantically.

"The dragon didn't just get his robes." I pointed to Harry. "Look."

Hermione and Neville watched Harry fly around a bit more and saw what we saw. Hermione's hand flew up to cover the gasp coming out of her mouth, but it was Neville who spoke. "The tail got his arm, right?"

"It did. He's bleeding, but he'll be okay once he sees Madam Pomfrey," I answered.

All the while we were talking, Harry kept trying to find an opening to grab the golden egg hidden within the other eggs. It wasn't until he made a pass back around near the tunnel opening and behind the pole holding up the platform Filch and his canon were standing under, that Harry got his opening to grab the egg.

The dragon had been chasing Harry with streams of fire as he maneuvered his way around, and this time was no different. As Harry passed behind the pole, the dragon released one of her biggest yet. Only instead of catching Harry as she intended, the dragon hit the pole, causing it to burst into flames!

The pole didn't just catch on fire though. The initial ball at the front of the stream broke the pole, causing it to start tipping—canon, Filch, and all. Several of the teachers around the area pulled their wands and started to help douse the flames, catch Filch in the air, and stop the canon from smashing into the ground. And with all of this going on, it caught the dragon's attention.

Our group, plus many, many of the others in the stadium, cheered at the top of their lungs as Harry used the distraction to swoop in under the outstretched wing of the big black dragon, down to the nest, and snatch the egg out from the middle. By the time the dragon had realized what was going on, Harry was flying around the top of the stadium holding the egg in the air with his smile stretched as wide as it could go.

"Woooooooooo!" Neville and the twins screamed at the top of their lungs. "Go, Harry!"

"Well done, Mr. Potter!" Ludo shouted while using his wand, so it came out much louder than any before. "Well done!"

It seemed like every single dragon trainer that had come with the dragons flooded the arena to try and get the Hungarian Horntail under control. She was furious that Harry had gotten past her, if all the fire bombs were anything to go by.

"Let's see what the judge's scores are!"

Ludo almost ran to where the other judges were sitting to confer with them, leaving Lee Jordan scrambling to make it to the announcement stage.

Lee spoke to us while the judges were talking, or arguing, it was too loud to tell which. "What a competition so far! This first task has been daring, and dangerous, and everything we had hoped for—probably more so—from the Triwizard Tournament."

Everybody around the stadium screamed out their approval, including myself and Bella. For as dangerous as the task had been, it was an exhilarating experience.

"It seems the judges have made their decision. Let's start, once again, with Professor Dumbledore. He has given Harry a score of nine. Ludo Bagman has given a score of ten. Barty Crouch gave a score of nine. Madame Maxime gave a score of eight, and Headmaster Karkaroff has given a score of four!"

Everybody had been cheering louder and louder with each score given, especially Ludo's ten, but when Karkaroff's score was revealed, everyone shouted out a "boo!", including Lee Jordan as commentator.

"Even with that disgusting display of favoritism from one of our judges, Harry Potter has jumped into second place with a score of forty points!" Lee shouted before Ludo Bagman came back to the announcement stage.

"Congratulations champions for completing this first task. And as such, the scores stand at this: first place Fleur Delacour with a score of forty-two points! In second place, Harry Potter with a score of forty points! In third place, Edward Masen with a score of thirty-eight points! And in fourth place, Viktor Krum with a score of thirty-six points!"

Ludo waited for the cheering, screams, clapping, and stomping to die down before he spoke again.

"Once the trainers remove the dragon from the arena, could the spectators please leave the stadium? Harry Potter, you need to go to the medical tent to have yourself checked over, and if the other champions could meet us there, we will give out the instructions for the next task. Thank you, and good day!"

We watched the dragon trainers wrangle the Horntail and finally remove it from the stadium's arena, leaving the way clear for all of us to leave. I walked down to the exit with Bella and the others, kissing her gently goodbye before walking across the arena to the exit to the medical tent. When I walked in, I found that I was the last one to arrive.

"Great first task, everyone. Well done, Fleur, for taking out the win!" I shook her hand as well as Krum's. Harry was having his arm fixed by Madam Pomfrey.

"Thank you, Edward. From what I 'ear you 'ad a good run, no?" Fleur spoke to me when I shook her hand.

"I did. But for the life of me, I can't figure out why I got such a low score. I wasn't hit with fire or anything, and I got the egg." I shrugged.

"At least, you did not have the clumsy dragon," Krum grumbled. "Mine stomped all over the eggs."

Fleur sighed while Harry laughed lightly. The potion Madam Pomfrey gave him was tickling as it stitched his skin back together.

"Ze task asked for a magical solution. Did you use a spell or charm, Edward?" Fleur asked.

I thought over my turn with the dragon, replaying it in my mind, before seeing what Fleur meant, and shaking my head. "I didn't. I used my speed as a vampire."

"Zat is why you lost points. It iz a magical competition. And, Viktor, your dragon was not clumsy. You injured it, causing it to crush ze eggs, that iz why you got a low score. You must be careful." Fleur shook her head at Viktor, admonishing him

Before Viktor could give a rebuttal, not that he had anything to say, the five judges walked through the door of the medical tent.

"Congratulations again, champions, on a first task well done." Ludo boomed much like Emmett. "All of you have collected your egg. You must keep it safe because this egg is your clue to the second task."

Barty Crouch stepped forward, frowning at Ludo over what I couldn't tell you. "The second task will be held on the 24th of February, so you have some time to prepare. But you must have figured out the clue in the egg to be fully prepared for the task. Good luck to you all."

As fast as Crouch had come in, he was gone again. I really would love to get a look inside that man's head. There was something odd about his behavior, and I wished I could get to the bottom of it. Even Professor Dumbledore seemed surprised by it as he watched Barty Crouch walk out the door.

Professor Dumbledore looked back to us with a strange look on his face, but he too, was keeping his thoughts closed. "The rest of this day is yours to do with as you please. As are the rest of the students. Celebrate, eat, drink, and be merry. Take today to relax, then start preparing for the task tomorrow." Professor Dumbledore nodded to us, then invited the remaining judges to join him in his office for tea.

"You're all fixed up, dear." Madam Pomfrey patted Harry on his arm. "You can go."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. What are we doing for the rest of the day?" Harry looked over to all of us.

"I 'ave something I need to do. Please excuse me," Viktor said as he stalked out the door, egg in hand, in his usual slumped way.

Fleur took a step to my side, but didn't touch me, which was strange but relieving. "Actually, Edward. I waz wondering if you could get me up to Bella. I would like to have zat conversation, please?"

"Sure. If you want to come with Harry and me, we can take you up to her. I'll just let her know where to meet us."

"Thank you. I would like zat very much." Fleur nodded then indicated that I should go first.

I picked up my egg, as did Harry and Fleur, and walked out of the tent with them following me, only to find a friendly little blue owl waiting for me.

"Hello, Saffy. I figured I might find you here. I need you to run something to Bella please?"

_I can see Mummy for you._ Her eyes flickered to Fleur and knew that I couldn't answer her thoughts._ You have note?_

I had quickly written a note on some paper inside the tent before walking out, so I attached that to Saffy. "Thank you, Saffy. You're a gem to my girl."

The little owl bowed her head to me before taking flight and heading toward the castle.

"Do you think ze owls understand uz?" Fleur asked as we followed the path that Saffy had taken.

Harry and I smirked at each other before I answered. "I've had many situations, just like this one, where our owls have turned up just when we need them. They understand where to take our mail, all with little input from us, so I don't know why they wouldn't? I think many of the animals—especially in the magical world—are a lot more _aware_ than we think they are."

"I 'ave never thought about it like zat. You 'ave given me much to think about."

We had almost made it to the castle when Rita Skeeter stepped into our path with her ever faithful Quick Quotes Quill and photographer. "Ah, three of the four champions, all together. I was wondering if you could give me a word on what you think of the tournament so far."

"Sure," Harry said. "Goodbye."

I snorted into a laugh, and Fleur giggled as we followed Harry around Rita and into the castle before she could follow us, asking for more of an answer. But she did exactly that and tried to follow us into the castle. I was about to turn to tell her that she was no longer welcome when Hagrid stepped out into her path. He placed one hand on her shoulder and one hand on the photographer's.

"Yeh know yeh aren't allowed in the castle no more. Yehr last stunt with Harry put an end to that. The champions have given yeh all yehr goin' to get, so I'll be escortin' yeh off the grounds." Hagrid spun them around and virtually frog marched them toward the gate.

"You are so lucky to 'ave 'im. Iz 'e your friend?" Fleur asked as we reached the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Harry nodded. "He is. One of the best."

We continued to chatter, getting to know Fleur better as we walked up the stairs. Once we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry waved goodbye, and I continued to lead Fleur up to the seventh floor.

"Where are we going?"

I looked over at Fleur before looking for the painting of the ballet dancing trolls. "Right here. Hang on a sec." I knocked on the wall that would hold the door to the Room of Requirement. "Bella?"

_Coming! I came here as soon as Saffy handed me the note._

"What are you doing?" Fleur asked, wondering if I had lost my mind. I didn't say anything but watched as her mouth fell open as slowly the outline of a door appeared on the wall. By the time Bella had reached it—on the other side—the outline had darkened and actually turned into a door.

Bella pulled it open with a nervous smile. It wasn't something you could notice if you didn't know her face as well as I did, but it was there. "Come on in."

"Thank you for seeing me, Bella," Fleur said as she took a seat on one of the chairs in the room. "I know zat zis iz unorthodox."

"It's fine." Bella waved it away. "What did you want to see me for?"

_Ooooh, this wasn't going to go well._ I pulled Bella's hand into mine.

Her eyes shot to mine._ You need me to keep calm, right. She's going to say something I don't like._

I leaned over to kiss her head, nodding slightly.

_Oooookay then. I'll try._

Fleur shuffled nervously a little bit. "What do you know of your muzzer's family?"

Bella sucked in a surprised gasp, her eyes once again meeting mine. I squeezed her hand, hoping to keep her calm.

"Um …" Bella said in a strangled voice. "Not much. My father died when I was young, my mother changed overnight and didn't tell me much after that before she left me with family friends just after my fifth birthday."

"I figured az much." Fleur nodded. "Your story iz very similar to mine, only my sister and I got lucky. We were able to live with our Grand-mère until I waz in my third year of school. Your grandmuzzer."

"What? Huh? I-I don't understand." Bella squeezed my hand as hard as she could.

"Ugh, I'm not explaining this right." Fleur stood, frustrated, and started pacing. "Your muzzer was not an only child. She 'ad a sister, an older sister whom she didn't get along with. Renee left when she met Charlie and never looked back."

Bella leaned forward, letting go of my hand, so I placed it on her back for support. "I have family? You're my family?"

"My sister and I, yes. We are your cousins. Your muzzer left you before ours left uz, but essentially, we 'ave the same story. Unfortunately, our Grand-mère died a few years ago. She 'ad so wanted to meet you." Fleur reached into her pocket and pulled out a photo, handing it over. "You weren't ze only one with dark features in ze family. In fact, it waz 'ow I recognized you. I've been looking for you for years."

I looked over Bella's shoulder to see the photo she had taken from Fleur. There in the photo was a beautiful woman, with a striking resemblance to my Bella. The photo was old, not only because the lady was young, but it was in black and white. I'd learned that the wizarding world had had color photos for decades, much longer than the muggle world.

"Oh, Merlin. She was beautiful," Bella whispered. I could hear the tears in her voice, so I reached over and pulled her closer. "You said she died? H-How?

"She waz beautiful. Much like you." Fleur smiled when Bella looked up at her. "My father died the year before I started at Beauxbatons, my muzzer 'eld on until my third year. After zat she became like your muzzer. I 'ad zeen Renee once, after she left you behind, and I didn't like what she 'ad become. I 'ated it even more when my muzzer did the same thing. Grand-père died not long after my muzzer left uz. 'E felt 'e failed 'iz girls, but not only that, 'e was old—even for a 'uman—and 'is body gave out. Grand-mère started to fade once Grand-père was gone. Their mate bond waz pulling 'er to be with 'im. After Grand-mère died, Madame Maxime took me and Gabrielle in." Here Fleur shook her head. "But I do not want 'er to have ze same education that I 'ave had. I want 'er to come 'ere, to 'Ogwarts. I want 'er to 'ave une éducation magique, like you.

"Bella, I want to move 'ere, get to know you and your family over the summer, complete my final year at 'Ogwarts, all while my sister starts 'ere az well. Will you … Do you think c'est possible?"

I thought over what Fleur just asked for, knowing that it wouldn't be a problem, but something stood out. "Shouldn't you be in your final year, this year? Due to being seventeen?"

"No. Due to when my birthday iz, I didn't start until I turned twelve. So I 'ave one more year to go. I'm 'oping that you can help me to get into 'Ogwarts." Fleur looked at us pleadingly. "Can you 'elp?"

Bella reached across the small table in front of us. "I don't think it will be a problem. We have an in here." She giggled. "We'll have to talk to Professor Dumbledore. You'll probably need to sit an exam to see where your education sits."

"And we have plenty of room between Swan Manor and McCarty Manse for both you and your sister to stay with us." I laughed. "It seems that our family is growing again."

"McCarty Manse?" Fleur frowned at us.

Bella laughed. "Our brother, Emmett—who also happens to be assistant gamekeeper here—bought some land from me and built a large house at the back of Swan Manor. Almost immediately, our friend, Neville, moved in as a foster child."

I smiled. "Our parents, Esme and Carlisle, took in not only Bella when we came to the wizarding world, but our sister Hermione as well."

Fleur laughed, astonished. "Just 'ow many are there of you?"

"Um …" Bella laughed. "Eleven if you include Neville in our immediate family. There's Carlisle, our father, who works at St. Mungo's. Esme, our mother, who is the Professor of Muggle Studies here at Hogwarts. Emmett, our brother—as we said earlier, he's the assistant gamekeeper. Rose, his wife and our sister, who works at the Middle House. Jasper, our other brother, is also a professor here at Hogwarts—he teaches History of Magic. Alice, his wife and our other sister, owns Alice's in Diagon Alley and creates her own designs. Then there's us, Hermione, and Neville."

"Wow. And you think my sister and I can join you? Zat you 'ave room?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the stunned look on Fleur's face. "If there is something that we have lots of, it's room. When Rose and Emmett moved into their own place, we left their suite empty, so there's that. Plus they built a house with plenty of room because their house is half-magical, half-muggle. In the future, they plan to adopt children from the Middle House. They wanted the children to have access to both worlds in their home so they could choose what world they wanted to be in."

"It would be zo nice to be part of a big family again. Do you think your parents or sisters or brothers would mind?"

Bella and I both shook our heads before I spoke. "But if it makes you feel any better, we'll write to all of them, and we can show you their responses."

Fleur nodded. "That would make me feel better, oui. You will alzo talk to Professor Dumbledore?"

"I can do that. Not a problem." I reached over and patted her hand. "We look after family."

Fleur went quiet, thinking over everything we had spoken about. After a few minutes, her mind switched gears to her dreams and what exactly she had been dreaming about. She knew that Veela could mate but didn't know what the dreams meant. Her grandmother had died before she could get a clear answer from her.

"Um … Bella, there iz zomething elze I would like to talk to you about." Fleur looked at me nervously.

I kept my smile to myself, leaned over, kissed Bella on her forehead, and stood from my chair. "How about I leave you girls to it. I'll see you later for dinner. Feel free to sit with us, Fleur."

"Thank you. I just might."

I nodded to both girls and left them to it. There were things Bella had to share with Fleur, things that only Bella knew. And I'm sure there were things Fleur knew that Bella would want to know as well.

But for now, I had some letters to write.

~*~UHS~*~

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**So Fleur finally spoke to Bella. What do you think of the outcome? Let me know what you think!**

**See you in a fortnight.**


	13. Chapter Twelve - Before Christmas

**Hello everyone! I am exhausted. My job keeps me busy but oh so happy. I'm not going to chat much except to say that I should probably issue a tissue warning for the first part of this chapter.**

**My thanks go out to my prereader Pienuniek, who keeps me on the straight and narrow, as well as Sally Hopkinson, who has her red pen handy at all times. Love you both.**

**Twilight and HP belong to SM and JK and there is no copyright infringement intended.**

**See you at the bottom ...**

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**Chapter Twelve – Before Christmas**

The Gryffindor Common Room was loud when I walked in. It seemed that there was a party being planned for tonight, and I could imagine that it was going to be so much louder than it was right now. I couldn't wait for it, to be honest.

"Hey, Edward," Harry greeted. "Did you guys open the egg yet?"

I shook my head as I walked over to my desk. "Nah, hadn't even thought about it. Why? Did you?"

"Yeah, and it was … well there're no words for it. None. Wanna hear?"

I laughed but realized I would have to in order to decipher what was in the egg. "Sure. Why not?"

It seemed it wasn't Harry's idea to open the egg. The twins, Dean, Seamus, and even Ron were all in the Common Room at the time and all pestering him about opening it to see what was inside. It didn't take him long to give in because he wanted to know what was in the egg as much as they did. He was hoping to get a head start on the clue before any of the rest of us. It wasn't a malicious thought. He just wanted to know first.

When others in the Common Room realized what Harry was about to do, he gathered quite a crowd. I watched as Harry held the egg aloft once more before twisting the tri-leaf switch at the pointed end of the egg.

I would love to say I caught a glimpse of what was inside, but the minute the three pieces of the cover fell open, an ear-piercing sound spilled out. Now, if a sound is ear piecing for humans, it's at least tripled for a vampire. The split second it started, I closed my eyes and slapped my hands over my ears, as if that would help to block out the sound. Harry, seeing this, shut the memory down as fast as he could.

"Sorry, Edward. I didn't think about how much that would hurt you," Harry mumbled.

"It's all right. I wasn't expecting that. I should have prepared myself. What was that?"

Harry snorted, following me to my corner of the Common Room. "I have no idea. Looks like we have some work to do. When shall we start?"

I sat, pulling out some paper and a pen. "Not today. I have something I need to do, and I want to come down and reflect on that task. If that was the first one, it makes me wonder what will happen in the next."

"Good point." Harry leaned over and started to write. "What's going on? What did Fleur have to say?"

As I sat and wrote letters to the couples in our family and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, I explained what Fleur had told us in the Room of Requirement.

"So she's Bella's cousin? And her little sister?" Harry asked in awe.

"It would seem so. Fleur had a photo of their grandmother. She looked surprisingly like Bella. Same dark hair, same dark eyes, and same heart-shaped face."

"Wow. What's going to happen now?"

I handed over a letter. "Fleur wants to finish out her schooling here and have her sister come to Hogwarts instead. Plus she wants to get to know Bella better."

"And the easiest way for that to happen is to have them come live with you guys. Makes sense to me." Harry shrugged, handing the letter back. "Where are they now?"

"Still talking in the Room of Requirement. Fleur has been having dreams, and she wasn't sure what they meant."

Harry laughed. "Another one bites the dust. She didn't know about dreaming about mates?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure she ever told her grandmother, and it doesn't seem like her grandmother told her about it either. Doesn't matter. Bella will have it well in hand."

_Of course, I will,_ Bella thought with a laugh as she came through the portrait. "All done with the letters, Edward?"

"Yup. Just need to send them out with …" There was a ruffle of feathers and a tap, tap, tap from the window. I spun with a smile to see not only Athan but Saffy standing at the window. "The owls." I laughed as I let them in. I held out letters to each of them. "Afternoon, you two. Saffy, if you could take these to Professor Dumbledore, Esme, and Jasper, please? Athan, yours need to go Carlisle, Rose, and Alice, please?"

_Certainly, Edward,_ Athan thought before taking off.

_Mumma?_ Saffy looked pleadingly at Bella, earning the little blue owl a giggle, pat, and small treat before she too flew off to deliver her letters around the castle.

"What about Neville and Hermione? Shouldn't they be asked as well?" Bella looked up at me.

I held up two more. "I was going to deliver them before we made our way down to see Charlie."

"I can do that, Edward," Harry spoke from next to me. "From what I heard, that dragon was devastated. The sooner Bella gets down there, the better."

Bella leaned over and kissed Harry's cheek. "Thank you, Harry. We'll see you at dinner."

I handed the letters over as I walked past him, then gently clapped him on the shoulder.

"The boys and I are organizing a party for tonight here in Gryffindor tower. You'll be here, right?" Harry asked, walking backwards toward the stairs.

Bella laughed while I smiled. "We wouldn't miss it for the world."

I wrapped my arm around Bella's shoulders as we made our way down the moving staircases and across the foyer to the front door but pulled her to a stop when we reached the doors.

"What's wrong, Edward?"

I ranged out my hearing. "Fleur, Harry, and I were ambushed by Rita Skeeter as we came in earlier." Bella gasped in anger, but I waved it off. "Hagrid was there, and he escorted her off the castle grounds. I just want to make sure she stayed off."

Bella nodded but stayed quiet as I listened to make sure Rita was gone. When I nodded and pulled her along to the door, she followed.

I looked down at her as we walked. She was bathed in the afternoon sunlight, almost glowing. I was in awe of the way she looked.

"What?" Bella asked as a blush stole over her face.

"You're beautiful."

"Thank you. You're not too bad yourself."

I laughed at her reply. "Why, thank you. How did it go with Fleur after I left?"

Bella sighed. "For as much as our grandmother explained to Fleur, it seems that she didn't get time to tell her about mating dreams. I think Gran must have thought she'd have more time."

I nodded, pulling her closer. I could tell from Bella's thoughts that she was unhappy by the fact she'd never known her grandmother and now never would. "So you explained what her dreams meant?"

"I did. The worst part, the part I couldn't tell her, was who her mate was."

"What do you mean?" My forehead creased in confusion.

"I had her draw a picture of what her mate was to look like, to see if I knew, and I did. But there was something different about the picture. It took me a few seconds to understand what the difference was." Bella remembered the picture Fleur had drawn.

"Holy shit! That's …"

"Yes," Bella interrupted. "But look closer."

I looked over the drawing Bella was showing me as we walked across the grounds. I saw the slight tilt to his lips that gave him the smallest hint of a smirk. Even though the picture was a standard black and white, I could imagine the red color of his hair. His eyes, though, said the most. They seemed older than he appeared. But it was the line of jagged scars that ran down the side of his face, past the eye on the right, which drew your attention the most.

"Oh. He doesn't have those yet." I paused as Bella nodded. "Has she always dreamt him that way?"

"I asked her the same question, and yeah, she has. So she can't meet him yet."

"Good thing she won't be living with us until summer. How are we going to keep them apart until that happens?"

Bella shook her head. "I have no idea. We might need to talk to Alice and see if she can see when it happens. It's a good thing that he works or we'd be in trouble."

"Sounds like a plan." I pulled her closer by wrapping my arm back around her shoulders once more.

We were silent as we finished our walk across the last field toward the Forbidden Forest and to where the dragons were being kept. I knew that, technically, we could get into trouble for entering the forest, but I figured we would be excused this once. That's, of course, if we were caught. I took one last listen as we slipped into the forest, just making sure we weren't being watched.

I led Bella along the same path Hagrid had taken us when he showed us the dragons, originally, only we weren't hiding from anyone. Charlie spotted us the second we stepped into the clearing, and his sigh of relief was palpable, even from where we were standing.

"Edward. Bella. I'm so glad you came. I was preparing to send an owl if you hadn't come soon." Charlie pulled us both into a hug. "She desperately needs you, Bella. The poor thing is nearly comatose."

"Sure, Charlie. Just point the way."

Instead of pointing, Charlie led us over to where the Chinese Fireball had been placed. While the other dragons had all been noisy and breathing fire at us—especially the one I had gone up against—the red dragon was lying listlessly on the ground. She was all curled up with her tail over her eyes and the most mournful of sounds coming from her.

"Oh," Bella gasped. The feeling around us changed as Bella's Veela powers came to the forefront. She looked up at me quickly with those beautiful glowing eyes of hers before she looked back at the Fireball in front of us. "I don't know how long this is going to take. Emotional pain is much stronger than the physical when it comes to healing."

I kissed the back of Bella's head. "Just take your time, love. Don't wear yourself out."

Charlie and I watched as Bella slowly approached the Chinese Fireball. The dragon lifted her large head, but instead of letting out a puff of fire, she gave Bella a pitiful stare and rested her chin on the ground.

"It'll be okay," Bella cooed as she reached the dragon and placed her hand on its head. She walked around so she was standing between its head and its paws, being able to place her other hand as close to the dragon's heart as possible. "I'll help you be okay."

"Do you think this will work?" Charlie whispered. He knew Bella could hear him, but he wanted to give her as much space and quiet to work with as possible.

"I hope so. No person, or animal, deserves to live with what happened in that arena. But I fully believe in my girl. She can do anything."

_Thanks, Edward,_ Bella thought to me as she closed her eyes.

"C'mon, Charlie. Let's leave her to it. Got some pumpkin juice somewhere?"

"Yeah." Charlie seemed to shake himself. "Yeah. I have some over here where we can keep an eye on everything but relax as well."

I chuckled. "You can tell me all about working with these magnificent creatures."

By the time dinner was almost upon us, Bella walked over. She looked bone tired but exhilarated at the same time. Bella slumped down in the chair next to me, leaned her head backwards, and sighed.

"All good, sweet girl?"

"Yeah," Bella released on a breath. "She's going to be okay. It'll take more time, but I've done all I can for her."

Charlie leaned forward, a serious look on his face, after looking over at the Fireball, who was at least up and moving around. "I can't thank you enough, Bella. I didn't know what to do for her. And after we were promised that nothing bad could happen during the tournament."

I snorted. "I think that was more for the competitors, but they shouldn't have used the dragons real eggs."

"I have a feeling there's going to be more danger than we care to think about." Bella sighed again before standing. "You're welcome, Charlie. I hope that it never happens again. Take them where they'll be safe."

Charlie stood as well, pulling her into a hug. "I will. Take care, both of you."

I shook his hand then helped Bella climb up onto my back.

"I can walk, Edward."

"I know. Just humor me. We have dinner and a party to get through next. You're going to need all the energy you can get."

Bella laughed. "Or we could sneak off to the Room of Requirement for sleep if the party goes on too long. But I agree. For now, let's eat."

I started to walk away, Bella resting her chin on my shoulder, when my mind was pulled in the opposite direction. I paused, listening. _Mr. Masen, I want to thank you,_ the voice stated clearly, but like it had to think about every word carefully. _You respected my space for my grief, and you brought your mate to help. We dragons thank you for not hurting us with spells like the others. We pledge our loyalty to you and your mate. Send word should you ever need us._

"Everything okay, Edward?" Bella asked quietly.

"Yeah. The dragons are thankful. And will come to us should we need them."

"Oh. I hope that day never comes. I don't want to put them in danger."

"Me too." I ranged my hearing out again and cycled through not only my regular frequencies, but many, many of the irregular frequencies I'd never checked before. It wasn't until I reached the end of the irregular ones that I picked up some peculiar buzzing. It didn't sound like thoughts, but one could never tell.

I'd check it out later. I had a party to get to, after all.

~*~UHS~*~

The party was in full swing by the time we made it back to the Common Room after dinner. It seemed that some of our fellow Gryffindors skipped dinner to get the party started. The music was loud, and the food covered every single flat surface they could place it on.

The music wasn't the only thing that was loud. The students who were already here were being just that—loud. They all cheered, or screamed, when Bella and I entered. If it weren't for the fact I knew there was no alcohol on the grounds, I would have believed them all to be drunk.

_I think that cheer was for you,_ Bella thought as she laughed at some of our housemates. _I wonder where Harry is._

"He's over there." I pointed to where some chairs had been placed together. He was surrounded by many of the boys in our year, as well as many from other years, including Ron. "Looks like Ron's jealousy has disappeared."

"That's a very good thing. Hopefully, the old Ron can start to appear," Bella murmured before kissing me, which caused another cheer to go up around the room. Bella pulled back with a laugh. "I might not want to do that, again, with everyone around."

I smirked. "I wouldn't complain."

Bella laughed again. "I'm sure you wouldn't. I'm just going to go say 'hi' to the girls."

I nodded, watching her walk over to Hermione and Ginny. I couldn't help but smile. My girl, my Bella, was growing up before my eyes, and she was stronger than ever before. Sure, there were days when I could see how young she still was, but more often than not, she was proving she was beyond her years. I wasn't really paying attention to much of what was happening around me, so as such, the Weasley twins snuck up on me.

"Edward!" they crowed together, gently slapping my shoulders, before George continued. "We think you should have gotten more points. Yours was the more exciting battle."

"I thought so too!" I whined playfully with them. "But that was before Fleur pointed out that it was a _magical_ competition. I should have used magic in some way."

Fred snorted. "You're a mythical, magical being. That should have been enough." Fred paused, then whispered, "Like we don't know that Bella used her shield."

I laughed. "We might know that. Professor Dumbledore might know that. But the greater magical community doesn't know about it, so they couldn't mark me on that. Not that it matters because I wasn't using her shield. _She_ was protecting _me._"

"Po-ta-to, po-tah-to!" they both said together, laughing.

Fred stayed with me while George went to stand in the middle of the room. He climbed up on a small lamp table that had been placed there, strategically it seemed.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" George called out over the noise, his hands in the air. Once everyone was quiet, he spoke again. "We have been very lucky, this year, to get two champions in the Triwizard Tournament."

Harry snorted. "I wouldn't call it lucky!" he stated, causing everyone to laugh. Sure he might have been serious but he could see the humor in it. And now that the greater population of students weren't thinking he had cheated to get into the competition, he was willing to give a little more leeway.

"Anyway, Fred and I would call it lucky!" Everyone cheered. They seemed to agree with them. "But seeing as they are our champions, we're all in this together. And as such, we want to see what was in those golden eggs!"

Bella walked back over to me. I held my hand out with the red wax from the bell cheese. I'd told Bella earlier about the egg, but she was determined to hear it. We both placed the wax in our ears as Harry stepped up onto the table where George had been.

"You all want to hear it?" Harry asked, only to receive cheering in return. "Are you sure you want to hear it?" Again, everyone around us cheered.

"Okay!" Harry laughed. "You asked for it!"

Harry held the egg aloft, reached for the tri-leaf on the top, and spun the catch. The very second the three covers dropped open, the horrible screeching I'd heard earlier spilled out. Every single person in the Common Room threw their hands over their ears, as did Bella and I, before Harry was able to close it back up.

"What was that?" Ginny gasped, recovering from the shock of it first.

"That's a form of Siren speak," Bella spoke up from next to me. "But I have no idea how to translate it." Bella looked up at me. "I'm sorry, Edward. I was hoping to help."

"But you did." I pulled Bella toward me and into a hug. "You helped identify the language. After the weekend, we can start looking into Siren speak while looking over the egg. We'll sort it out!"

With my words, the Common Room exploded with more cheering. I knew that while most were thinking about offering their help, they wouldn't. It would be up to our gang of Misfits to figure it out. And we would because that's what we did.

I smiled and waved at everyone before I pulled Bella over to my corner where I had set up a surprise for her. I was so glad that only those I invited were allowed in my corner. Otherwise, surprises would be given away by people sticking their noses into it.

"What's this?" Bella asked when she saw the rather large house-shaped gift covered up by a Gryffindor blanket.

"It's something for you."

Bella laughed. "It takes up most of your desk. Where am I supposed to keep whatever it is?"

"You'll find somewhere. Now go on. Uncover it."

Bella smiled giddily. I loved that she loved getting presents because I certainly loved to give them. She reached out to grip the blanket and pulled it with a swift tug. Underneath was a white washed wood and glass terrarium that I had Hermione and Ginny fill with all manner of plants. On the side of the terrarium were a couple of doors that closed with a latch, and one side of the ceiling was on hinges so you could open it from the top. Hermione and Ginny had done a brilliant job. They'd not only placed plants but had managed to create a couple of hills and added a lake to the design that I had asked them for earlier in the afternoon.

"What is this?" Bella asked as she peered in the top and looked around the sides through the glass.

"That is a terrarium."

Bella rolled her eyes at my sarcasm. "Thank you. But why are you giving it to me?"

I pulled open the drawer of my desk and pulled out a cardboard box that I'd placed holes in and handed it for Bella. "For this. When we were in the tent before the task we had to select which dragon we would be facing from a silk bag."

"You told me this," Bella said as she held onto the cardboard box.

"What I didn't tell you was … it wasn't just a piece of paper with the type of dragon written on it. It was this." I tapped the top of the box in the hopes that she would finally open it.

Bella smiled but did as I wanted and opened the top of the box in her hands. "Oh, my goodness. Edward, what is this?" Bella reached in and picked up the moving miniature Swedish Short Snout from the box. "This is the dragon you faced off with today, right?"

"It's a miniature, yes. This is how we knew what dragon we were going up against. We pulled these out of the bag. I know how much you would like an actual one, but because we vampires are flammable …"

"I can't have an actual one." Bella finished as the silvery-blue dragon let out a small puff of smoke. "So you kept this one for me. Thank you, Teddy."

If I could have blushed, I would have. "You're welcome, Bella. I'm glad you like it."

"Like it. I love it!"

I watched with pride as the silvery-blue dragon crawled up on her hand with its own pride and stood at attention as though waiting for her to command it. Bella leaned in and nuzzled the little dragon as she unlatched the doors on the terrarium before lowering her hand and letting the dragon into its new habitat.

Just as Bella closed the latch, Harry came bounding over. "Hey, Bella?"

"Yes?" she answered distractedly, watching her dragon exploring its new home.

"Do you think your dragon would like a friend?"

Bella spun around. "What?"

"Well,"—Harry held out his hands in a cup, something hidden inside—"do you think that your dragon would like a friend? I have no idea what to do with mine."

"Oh, Harry, really?"

Harry just nodded and let Bella reach in with her hand to pick up the miniature Hungarian Horntail. Harry smiled as Bella nuzzled that dragon before lifting the lid and letting the dragon roam free.

Once she was done, Bella pulled Harry into a hug. "Thank you."

"You are so welcome. Now let's party!" He pulled her back into the room to dance as she laughed.

~*~UHS~*~

A few days later while doing homework in the library, Bella, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny sat chatting around me. With Mr. Crouch as one of the judges, the girls had been worried about the affect it would have on Winky, Mr. Crouch's dismissed house elf. They had been discreet when talking about it, using a code they had thought up themselves, but were trying to figure out a way to get in and talk to the house elf.

I had never been to the kitchens, so I wasn't sure how one would get in there to check. The girls were still talking about it when Fred and George joined us. It didn't take but a few seconds to figure out what they wanted to do.

"You want to get into the kitchens?" Fred whispered, catching the girls' attention.

The four of them spun to face the boys, nodding.

George spoke next. "We can show you how. When do you want to go?"

"Now?" Bella asked after looking at the girls.

In response, Fred and George packed up the small amount of gear they had unpacked before waiting for the rest of us to do the same. Once we were finished, they led us out of the library and down the stairs towards the Hufflepuff Common Room. Instead of going there, Fred and George led us to a painting, one that depicted a large silver bowl overflowing with fruit.

Fred smirked. "Watch this." He reached up to the large green pear and tickled it with his finger.

The pear giggled before transfiguring itself into a green handle. Fred turned the knob and opened it to reveal a kitchen that rivalled the size of the Great Hall above it. There were five large tables in the same places as those in the hall, to represent not only the four houses but also the teachers' table, and an extra-large stone fireplace opposite where all manner of concoctions were bubbling and brewing to be ready in time for dinner.

But the biggest surprise had to be the very large amount of house elves bustling around the kitchen, preparing the meal; that was until they realized we were standing there watching them. Once they had, the hundred or so elves flooded toward us and pulled us into the kitchen, sat us at the table, and brought food and drink all without us asking for it.

"Wow," Hermione whispered. "They really enjoy this."

"They do," I whispered back over Bella's nodding head. "It's why what we're doing is a good thing. Improve their working environments but don't take away what they enjoy."

"Oh look, there's Dobby and Winky!" Harry waved at the two house elves in question.

Dobby came over to say hello, but it seemed that the other elves gave him a wide berth, like they were ashamed of him. While he chatted with Harry, Neville, and the girls, I listened to the thoughts of the elves around us, and I was right. The other elves didn't like that Dobby—and Pokey, for that matter—were paid for their services. The elves liked being able to look after people—it's what they enjoyed, but they didn't want to be paid for it. In fact, being paid was frowned upon and made you an outcast from your own people, or in this case, house elves. Further proof that what we were doing was right.

Through all of this, I kept my eye on Winky. She had looked up when we walked in but went back to the knitting she was doing after we had been swarmed by the other house elves. She didn't wave or say hello when the others had. She looked drawn. Depressed. And most of all, in a room of her own kind, she looked alone.

_Is Winky okay? _Bella asked when she noticed where my attention had gone. I shook my head because I didn't think so. _I'm going to go talk to her. See if I can help._

Bella kissed my cheek as she stood and handed over the very full plate of food that had been given to her before making her way across the kitchen to where Winky was sitting near the fireplace.

"Hi, Winky. My name is Bella. How are you?" Bella sat down next to her and lifted up the scarf that Winky seemed to be knitting. "This is beautiful."

"T-t-thank y-you, M-Miss B-Bella. Winky is well."

"I'm glad you are. I had heard about that terrible incident at the World Cup." Winky froze with Bella's words, and Bella saw it too. "I think you were treated very unfairly. Mr. Crouch should have treated his longtime confidant better than that. But … you don't look entirely happy here. You aren't in with the other elves. Is there something wrong?"

Winky went quiet, in both thought and word. She was like that for so long that I wasn't sure she was going to answer. And during this time, the elves around us continued to bring food and drinks as though we were going to run out or starve if they didn't continuously give it to us. I smiled when I saw Kreacher leaving us be but continuing on with his duties, even as he kept an eye on Bella and Winky. Eventually, Winky's thoughts came back into focus, right before she answered Bella's question.

"W-Winky is h-h-happy that Professor D-Dumbledore took Winky in." Winky looked around at all of the other elves, making sure they weren't paying any attention to her. "But Winky feels uncomfortable in a place with so many people, and creatures. It's too … um … c-crowded. Winky feels better in a home, with a f-f-family."

Bella nodded. "Do you wish to go back to Mr. Crouch?"

Winky shook her head so fast that I thought she was going to crack her neck, and tears sprung into her eyes. "N-No. I d-d-don't want to g-g-go b-back there. Don't make Winky."

Bella reached out and gently placed her hand on Winky's shoulder. "We won't, Winky. I promise. My friends, family, and I would never send you someplace you don't want to go. We're fighting for the better treatment of all house elves, and that includes places where you work or feel safe." Bella waved Kreacher over from where he was watching. "Have you met Kreacher, Winky?"

Winky shook her head; at least this time, it wasn't as violent.

"Kreacher is my house elf. He comes to Hogwarts with me. Kreacher, this is Winky."

Kreacher and Winky gave each other a small head bow in recognition.

Bella continued on when they were done. "He looks after my family in Swan Manor. But I have a family who could really use the help of a house elf. A house elf with your skills. Do you think you might be interested?"

Winky thought about it for a short minute before she nodded softly.

"Okay. I'll write to Mrs. Weasley about giving you a new place and something more meaningful than here at Hogwarts. If you have any questions, you can ask Kreacher here, or pop into the Gryffindor Common Room to find me"—Bella pointed in our direction—"or any one of those people there about the Weasleys. Especially the red-haired girl. She's Ginny Weasley. I think you'd like it there."

"What about Professor Dumbledore?" Winky whispered her question, looking around once again.

"My mate can talk to him if you'd like? He has a good rapport with the headmaster." Bella smiled at me, causing me to smile back.

Kreacher had gone back to work. But Winky looked at me with Bella's declaration. "Would he do that for Winky?"

Bella beamed. "Absolutely."

Winky nodded. "Then Winky would like that very much."

"We'll do that right away. As soon as we get back to the Common Room. And remember, you are welcome to come and see us at any time." Bella stood, then leaned down and wrapped her arms around Winky. "I hope we can become friends, Winky. And the Weasleys will take excellent care of you. See you later."

"Bye, Miss Bella."

Bella beamed and waved at Winky and Kreacher before coming back to my open arms.

"That was a beautiful thing you did for her. Look how much better she is already." I nuzzled Bella's cheek, gently pushing her head in Winky's direction. She did look better. Sitting straighter and knitting with more enthusiasm.

_I couldn't help it. She just looked so miserable. Besides, I think Molly could use a hand with all of her jumper orders._ Bella smiled.

"I think you're right." I pulled out my watch to look at the time. "Time to go."

Everyone stood with my words and started to say goodbye to all the house elves, who shoved more food into our hands, mostly in baskets, as we walked toward the door. Once we were back in the corridor and the door as part of the painting had closed, Harry burst into laughter.

He pointed to Fred and George. "No wonder you were able to get food for the party so easily. They shove it at you."

"We know!" they blurted out together, laughing, before George turned to Bella. "Why didn't you tell Winky that we were Weasleys too, Bella?"

Bella shrugged. "She's been through the wringer with men in her life, I thought it might be easier if she knew there were women living there. I'm sure if Molly takes her on then she'll see the pictures there and figure it out. Besides, it's not like she couldn't tell by looking at you lot."

"That's true!" we all laughed as we made our way back to the Common Room.

~*~UHS~*~

"Good class today, everyone," Professor McGonagall said. "A lot of you are starting to perfect the art of turning a guinea fowl into a guinea pig. Some of you still have quite a bit of work to do. For homework, I want you to describe—with examples—the way transforming spells must be adapted when you perform cross-species transfigurations.

"Before you all leave today, I have some important news. There are important traditions held during the Triwizard Tournament, and one of those traditions is the Yule Ball."

Excited chatter broke out between all the girls in class when Professor McGonagall had finished talking. Probably even before then.

"Quiet please!" McGonagall waited until everyone had settled back down. "Now, the Yule Ball is held, as it suggests, on Christmas Eve and is only for those who are in fourth year or above, unless expressly asked by an older student. It is also, first and foremost, a ball." McGonagall smirked at us over her glasses. "That means you are all required to dance."

The groans from most of the male students in class was hilarious and something I had heard many of over the years.

_Ah, this is why we had to have formal attire this year. Why didn't you say anything, Edward? You would have read about it. _Bella looked at me accusingly.

"Because I wanted it to be a surprise for you and the other girls." I snickered. "Plus, I wanted to see the boys' reactions to being told firsthand."

Bella looked around at all the boys who were rubbing their faces, face-palming, or laying their heads on the tables. _They are being quite silly. I don't understand. It's a dance._

I followed what she was looking at. "Because it's their first foray into asking a girl out. A school function with social implications. And it's romantic. The boys in our classes are only just learning to like girls. This puts a lot of pressure on them to do everything right, including dancing where everyone can see them."

_Oooooooh. _Bella nodded, then looked back up at me. _I'm glad you grew up in a time where dancing was acceptable for your age group. I'm looking forward to going with you._

I snuck a quick kiss in on Bella's head. "Me too, love."

Professor McGonagall held up her hands. "All right, that's enough moaning, boys. In preparation for the ball, we will be holding dancing lessons in the large classroom down the corridor. The first lesson is mandatory, and I expect you all to be there at two o'clock on Thursday afternoon. As an added incentive, for those of you who make the effort to learn to dance properly and attend the ball, you will be able to enjoy the stylings of the most popular band on the Wizarding Wireless Network—the Weird Sisters." When Professor McGonagall spoke next, she had to raise her voice to be heard over the excited talking. "You may all go. See you Thursday."

We packed up our books and quills so we could get ready to go to lunch when McGonagall spoke once more. "Mr. Masen, Mr. Potter, can you please stay behind? I need to talk with you both for a moment."

I waved to Bella as Harry and I turned back to face Professor McGonagall at the front of the classroom.

"Come closer, boys. You aren't in trouble." She smiled at us. "I just wanted to let you know that as Tournament Champions you, and your dates, will be required to complete the first dance in front of everyone else attending. I thought it might be better to tell you alone rather than in front of all of your classmates."

I shrugged because it wouldn't have bothered me either way. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall. I'm sure Harry is appreciative of that fact. We'll see you on Thursday."

I placed my hand on Harry's shoulder and steered him toward the door. I couldn't help but chuckle at the surprised stupor he was in. I had a feeling this was going to terrify him more than facing off against the Hungarian Horntail.

Harry didn't say a word, not until we'd reached the end of the corridor.

"Date? Edward, I can't ask anyone on a date!"

I chuckled. "Why not?"

"Because I'm only fourteen!" Harry started to hyperventilate, so I pulled him into the empty classroom nearby. "I don't know how to ask a girl to a dance! I don't know how to dance!"

I placed my hands on Harry's shoulders. "Look at me, Harry. Look at me," I repeated when he refused to meet my eyes. "Deep breath. In … out … in … out … that's good. Keep going. In … out … Feel better?"

Harry nodded, still taking deep breaths, as he calmed down.

"Good. Now the second issue is the easiest. Professor McGonagall is going to be teaching us all how to dance. She said that in class, remember?" I asked and waited until Harry nodded. "On top of that, we can have our own dance lessons in the Room of Requirement. I can teach you everything I know. We have time.

"The first issue is another matter. Is there someone you'd like to go with? She doesn't have to be a date. You could just go as friends."

Harry shrugged. I dropped my hands from his shoulders. "I have no idea. It's not something I've ever thought about."

"And that's fine. Again, we have time for you to decide." I tilted my head to the side, listening. "But I wouldn't wait too long. The whole class is talking about it, and some of the older boys are already asking."

"You're so lucky," Harry moaned. "You have Bella. You don't have to ask. It's a given."

"Uh uh. No. Just because Bella is my girl doesn't mean I can take things like this for granted. To show her how much I appreciate her, and to show that I will always respect her, I'll be asking her to the dance." I smirked. "Besides, with the change in our relationship, it's the right thing to do."

"Really?"

"Really. And I'm going to plan something special." I smiled at Harry before wandering off. He wanted to know what I was planning. At this point, I had no idea, but it would be good.

~*~UHS~*~

I couldn't help snickering as we made our way into the classroom that had been deemed suitable for our dance lessons.

_What's so funny?_ Bella asked, taking her seat next to me. We were the only pair sitting together. The boys and girls had segregated to opposite sides of the room.

"Just look at the difference, Bella. The boys on the left side, all terrified of what's to come. The girls on the right, excited and tittering, waiting to dance. It's a scene I've seen many times in my years through school."

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer as Bella looked around to see what I did.

_It's the girls who are making the boys nervous,_ Bella mused, looking between the two groups. _The excitement flowing through the girls, and the fact that they aren't hiding it, makes the boys jittery._

"Exactly, my sweet girl," I said as Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore stepped into the middle of the room. "The boys are just realizing that the girls don't have cooties, that they like them. More than like them. But being in close proximity to one has them out of their element."

Bella's eyebrows rose when she looked at me. "Cooties?"

Luna leaned toward Bella from the other side. "I think cooties are what the muggles call Wrackspurts. They, too, flock to the tension between boys and girls."

Bella nodded sagely, trying to keep her grin under control, while I buried mine in her hair. We loved Luna for the fact that she was different and wasn't afraid to show it. But sometimes, even we didn't get what she meant. I was so glad that she had taken our advice to heart last year and started standing up to the people who were bullying her. At first, they didn't take her seriously. That was until she went to the Ravenclaw head of house, Professor Flitwick. He wouldn't stand for it and told those who were bullying her so. After that, they seemed to leave her alone.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, calling attention to her. "Thank you all for coming."

'_Cause they gave us a choice,_ Bella muttered with an internal snicker.

"You weren't the only one thinking it," I whispered back.

"I'm hoping that today isn't the only day you all show up for lessons, but if it is, we're going to make the most of the next couple of hours." Professor McGonagall explained. "The first dance we're going to teach you is the waltz."

Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore removed their outer robes revealing, what they were wearing underneath. While McGonagall was wearing a very demure green dress that was only short enough to reveal her modestly heeled feet, so that we could see the dance moves, Professor Dumbledore's made everyone burst into raucous laughter. He was decked out in the most garish green and yellow Hawaiian shirt, a kilt—of all things—that matched in color, and dress shoes with striped matching socks.

Professor McGonagall was startled at the loudness and suddenness of the laughter that she spun around to look at Professor Dumbledore, only to hold back a smirk and raise her eyebrow at him.

Dumbledore was not abashed at all. "What, my dear Minerva? They all match."

With a smile and a shake of her head, Professor McGonagall handed her robe over to a laughing Professor Sprout and turned back to the class.

Once the students had calmed down, she spoke again. "We'll start with the correct starting position." McGonagall and Dumbledore faced each other. "Girls, you will stand with you left elbow out and your left hand on the boy's shoulder." As McGonagall spoke, she moved into position with Dumbledore. "Your right arm should be held at a ninety degree angle with your right hand held in the boy's left. Now these angles don't have to be perfect because you are all at differing heights.

"Boys, your right arm curls under the girl's left, with your hand splayed out on her shoulder blade."

Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore spun in a couple of circles to show everyone around the room the correct stance.

"Mr. Filch, if you please? Everyone watch. You will be practicing this shortly." McGonagall nodded to Filch, who was standing next to an old gramophone.

As the music started, my knee twitched automatically. I was itching to dance—it had been far too long, and now that Bella was tall enough, we would be at comfortable heights to ballroom dance.

_All right, Edward?_

"Yup. Just want to go dance."

_Give me a second to watch the feet, then we can join in._

I nodded as Professor McGonagall explained the correct steps for the waltz, including how to turn both as a pair and spins for the girl.

_You ready?_

I nodded excitedly. I was up and holding my hand out to Bella the moment the thought entered Professor McGonagall's mind to invite the children to join in. McGonagall and Dumbledore stepped off to the side so they could help when needed.

I led Bella out into the space, pulled her in a large arc, then into the starting pose. For a few wonderful moments, it was only Bella and me on the dance floor. It gave me a glimpse into the future at what dancing the first dance at our wedding would be like, and I couldn't wait to have that. I wasn't the only one. As Bella had picked up the steps with ease, she envisioned the same thing, as we simply glided around the dance floor.

Eventually, though, the professors started encouraging others to join us. It came as a surprise that it was Neville who stood first and held his hand out to Ginny before joining us on the dance floor. It seemed that Neville's gran had taught him how to dance, and it was something he enjoyed. He even managed to get Ginny laughing as he twirled her around.

Bella giggled from my arms, but when I looked down, she was looking over my shoulder.

"What's so funny, my girl?"

_It seems that Ginny isn't the only one with a crush. Spin me and look at Draco._

I did as Bella instructed and slowly spun us around so I could get a look at Draco, then chuckled because, if looks could kill, Neville may have been six feet under. "Oh dear. How are we going to help that situation?"

_We'll think of something. It would be unfair to keep them apart._

"Neville isn't interested in her anyway." I smirked. "His hormones haven't kicked in. He's not interested in girls … yet."

_Yet._ Bella snickered.

Several minutes later, all the students were on the floor, being instructed on how to do the waltz. And for the next couple of hours, we spent time going over several dances that were easy to complete.

The girls were having a … well, a ball.

When we were done, Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore stood, once again, in the center of the room. Professor Dumbledore spoke first. "I'd like to offer a job well done to all of you. You have done a wonderful job learning these dances, so I have no doubt you will all dance admirably for the ball portion of the evening."

McGonagall nodded. "I agree with Professor Dumbledore. For now, you are all released to clean up for dinner. I would, however, like Mr. Masen and Mr. Potter to stay behind along with Miss Cullen and Miss Swan."

The four of us stood quietly as the rest of the forth years filed out of the room. The girls were even more excited about the dance now that they'd had some practice. And they were planning on attending a few more lessons with the teachers. The boys … not so much. Sure, some were going to attend the lessons; in fact, more than I had anticipated, but some were going to avoid it like the plague.

"Thank you for staying," Professor McGonagall stated when everyone had left. "I told you yesterday that you had to dance the opening dance of the ball. What you need to know is that it is a very special dance, and the best way to teach you is with a partner, which is why I asked Miss Swan and Miss Cullen to stay behind to help you."

Professor Dumbledore smirked as Harry looked around wildly. Harry didn't want to dance the first dance. He'd been on display so much since he'd come out of hiding, but this was something beyond his comprehension.

Dumbledore faced Professor McGonagall and took up the first position. "Minerva, would you like to dance?"

"Why, yes. Thank you, Albus." McGonagall smiled. "If you please, children?" She nodded in our direction, directing us to take up the same position. "We'll begin when you are ready, Mr. Filch."

When the music started, the lesson for the first dance began.

~*~UHS~*~

December arrived quicker than most of the male students hoped that it would. And with the beginning of it came the obligatory dance lessons for everyone who wanted to go to the ball.

Not only did the entirety of the upper student body have lessons for the ball but so did Harry and I. We were leading the opening dance. We weren't the only ones to do so however. Fleur and Viktor were also supposed to be in that first dance. So with a little conversation with Professor McGonagall, I convinced her to extend the dance lessons to include them.

Professor McGonagall extended the invitation to Bella, Hermione, Luna, and Neville to help the four of us learn the opening dance. She wasn't expecting us to attend with these partners, well except for Bella and me, but we had to learn the dance either way.

The funny part was the only person not enjoying learning how to dance was Harry.

~*~UHS~*~

Once again Bella's dreams were calling out to me. The last few nights, since the announcement of the dance and the subsequent dance lessons, Bella had been dreaming about what it would have been like had we lived in the times I grew up in. She had been dreaming about dating—or as it was known, courting—in my childhood. Bella wondered what it was like and how we would have gone about it. She had been reading up on the 1900s, so her dreams were surprisingly accurate.

It seemed that Bella wanted to be courted according to my times, and the upcoming ball gave me a perfect opportunity to do exactly that.

There was the distinct "pop" of Kreacher coming to stand behind me before he spoke. "Master Edward, are you ready to go?"

I finished writing the letter to Bella that I had composed, informing her of the fact that I would be missing from the first couple of lessons. I had plans that she didn't need to know about.

"Nearly, Kreacher. Just let me address this envelope and give it to Saffy." The little owl in question hooted softly before clutching the letter in her claw. "Can you take this to Bella and stay with her until she wakes?"

Saffy hooted softly again before she spread her wings and took flight. Instead of going outside and up to the window of the girls' dormitory, she flew up the stairs and through the cracked door. I knew she would hold onto that letter but land on the perch Bella had beside her bed. It sat in front of her dragon terrarium, which had been placed in the bay window.

I stood and turned to Kreacher. "Okay, I'm ready to go." When I had placed my hand on Kreacher's shoulder, he clicked his fingers, taking us to Swan Manor.

"What do you need Kreacher to collect, Master Edward?"

"Just the things on this list. I have to grab a couple of other things from downstairs. Thank you for doing this, Kreacher."

Kreacher just smiled. He loved being able to make Bella happy, and this was an easy task to do. He went up the stairs while I entered the library and over to the place where I could open the secret panel for the potions room and Bella's laboratory, which was my destination.

After opening the trap door, I jumped down, landing with a muffled thump as the candles lit up with a soft whoosh. Behind the only door in the lab was the place where Bella kept all the artefacts that had been confiscated, such as the Mirrorsieve that Gilderoy Lockhart had been using to steal and use other people's memories for his books. It was behind that door we had also placed the Mirror of Erised, an item that allowed us to talk to our parents—Charlie Swan, Elizabeth Masen, and Edward Masen Senior. It was the former I was here to speak with—I had a question that needed to be asked.

Charlie was there waiting for me when I stepped in front of the mirror. "Hello, Charlie."

"Hey, Edward. What can I do for you?"

I stood straight, my hands behind my back. "I would like your permission to have Bella accompany me to the Yule Ball at Hogwarts this Christmas Eve."

Charlie frowned slightly at me. Trying to figure out my motive, I was sure.

"Edward," he said slowly, as if I were dumb. "You're her mate. I'm not alive. You don't need my permission."

I chuckled as I rubbed my wrist where a sudden heat flared up. But it was gone as quickly as it came, so I ignored it. "While I agree with one of those statements, I can't say so for the other two. While Bella is my mate, we both see you as alive. And most importantly, Bella has been dreaming about courting, like it was in my time. Part of that is talking to the father of the girl I have intentions towards and asking for his permission to court his daughter."

Charlie snickered. "Well then, by all means, you have my permission." He tilted his head at me. "Out of curiosity, what would you have done had I said no?"

"Oh, that's easy," I laughed. "Asked Carlisle."

Charlie burst out into laughter that I couldn't hear. It was the downside to the mirror. We could see our parents, talk to them, but we couldn't hear them. We had to read their lips. I had often wondered if it were the same for them on the other side.

I gave him a wave before heading back into Bella's laboratory and over to the music set-up she had placed to the side so she could listen to music while she worked. I sorted through the large amount of records she had stashed down here. I couldn't help but chuckle because it seemed that many of the ones from our bedroom had migrated down here too. I found a couple that I thought would be appropriate—in the form of Glenn Miller—and made my way back up to the hallway where I was meeting Kreacher.

Kreacher was holding a small box in one hand, and I could tell from his thoughts that he was able to gather everything I had wanted.

"Time to head back. I'm late enough." I smiled as I placed my hand on Kreacher's shoulder, and with a click of his fingers, we were back at Hogwarts.

"You won't have any trouble setting this up?" I asked, putting the records on my desk.

"Kreacher will have no issues, Master Edward. It is a brilliant idea." He smirked at me. "I believe it is time for history. You will be late if you do not hurry."

I laughed, grabbing my bag and running out the door. I hadn't noticed it at first, but it seemed that the castle was in an uproar. Something had happened while I had been gone, and I'd been gone less than two hours. What could it possibly be?

Ranging my hearing out, things were … interesting. It revolved around Krum; that much I got. It seemed the first champion had asked someone to the ball. Although, I wasn't sure who that was because nobody was thinking about who it was. I didn't think to check Bella's thoughts until I was close to the classroom. When I read her thoughts, I sucked in a sharp breath. A lot had happened while I had been gone it seemed.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Masen," Jasper drawled as I took my seat next to Bella.

"No problems, Professor Whitlock," I replied a little sarcastically. He knew I was going to be late; he was just being an ass about it.

Jasper raised his eyebrows ever so slightly while gently tilting his head in the direction of the quietly gossiping trio next to me. But it wasn't just their gossip that was catching his attention. _Do you think he knows what he's feeling?_

I shook my head in answer to Jasper's question. Harry had absolutely no idea what he was currently feeling.

"Oh, I just can't believe it!" Hermione whispered ever so quietly. "I honestly thought Viktor would be asking you to the ball, Bella! I never, ever thought he would ask me." Hermione practically swooned. I'd never seen my newest sibling like this; I thought she was immune to his celebrity.

"He knows I'm with Edward. And why wouldn't he ask you? You're brilliant, and pretty, and funny, and studious." Bella broke into quiet laughter when Hermione tried to slap her hand over Bella's mouth.

Ginny giggled softly from the other side of Hermione. She looked slyly in my direction before she spoke. "I'm not so sure his friend will survive the day though."

"Ginny!" Bella and Hermione hissed before turning to look at me.

Ginny was playing the scene in her mind. The three of them had been walking from the library toward class as they'd all had a free lesson. Viktor and his friend—whose name I shall have to find if I was going to punish him properly—approached them. Viktor nodded hello to Bella and Ginny because he only had eyes for Hermione.

"Hello, Hermy-own." The girls giggled slightly at his pronunciation. He had been studying in the library whenever we were in there, but I had left him to his thoughts. "I was hoping you would grace me with your presence at the ball?"

Hermione's mouth had fallen open, just enough that she looked shocked, which caused Ginny and Bella to giggle at her this time. Bella reached up to close Hermione's mouth, snapping her out of her shock.

"Um … I'd love to," Hermione replied quietly before beaming a smile at Viktor that left him speechless.

The girls walked around them to head to class when Viktor's friend's hand shot out and grabbed Bella's arm. I growled low, watching it unfold, and pulled Bella's arm up to kiss it.

_I'm okay, Edward. He didn't hurt me. I understand though,_ Bella thought, taking over the storytelling in her mind. Ginny stopped because she knew Bella was now in charge. I was so engrossed in the memory that I had no idea what was going on in class.

"Excuse you?" Bella snatched her arm back from the soon-to-be-dead boy. "What do you think you are doing?"

Viktor was trying to pull the boy away, but he fought him to be able to say what he wanted to say. And when he'd won against the larger Viktor, he smiled smugly at my Bella.

"And you, Miss Bella, will be accompanying me to the ball." It wasn't asked; it was a demand. One that he thought she would follow.

"Uh, no, I won't be. I have a date for the ball, in case you've missed that rather talented vampire wizard who is usually with me wherever I go. He's my mate. You do know what that means, right?" Bella asked. She held up her wrist to show that her "mate" bracelet was glowing white hot, the words red against the goblin metal. She looked exactly like Esme did when she scolded one of us—usually Emmett—when we behaved like small children.

"Has he asked you yet?" The boy—for that's what he was, messing with a vampire's mate—asked with an arrogant smirk on his face. When Bella stayed quiet, he smiled wider. "That's what I thought. In that case, you _are_ coming to the ball with me."

Bella looked at him incredulously. Hermione and Ginny were behind Bella, covering their mouths and staring at the boy aghast. Then Bella's shoulders started to move, she snorted out loud before she bent over at the waist, letting out the loudest belly laughs I had ever heard.

The arrogant smirk fell from his face while he stared at Bella. By the time she had started to calm down and wipe tears from her eyes, he was glaring at her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What is so funny?" he tried to growl at her.

Bella chuckled a couple more times as she looked back at Michael—how appropriate. I knew he reminded me of someone. "Considering that what you said was a demand, and not a question," Bella answered slowly and simply. Like she was talking to a simpleton. "I'll not be going to the Yule Ball with you but with my mate. Who is no doubt planning some beautiful event to ask me. So thank you, but no thank you."

With that, Bella spun, linking her arm with Ginny's and Hermione's and pulled them along the opposite way to class. They would take the long way. Leaving _Michael_ standing there with his mouth hanging open.

I snorted at the way Bella had handled Michael, pulling me back into class. Jasper had continued teaching but was monitoring the feelings coming from Harry as Ginny and Hermione quietly spoke about her upcoming date with Viktor Krum.

"Very well handled, Bella. But don't think I won't be doing something to reiterate you're mine to this … Michael." I growled lowly in her ear.

"Oh, I wouldn't think of it," Bella breathed, a little dazed. She shook her head, clearing it. "Maybe, just don't kill him. That might be bad for building international magical co-operation."

I chuckled. "Maybe."

_Did you get everything done this morning? _I nodded to her question. Bella looked down the row at the seething Harry and Neville trying to calm him. _What's wrong with Harry? I've never seen him like this before._

"No, but you have felt it. Remember in first year? Brunhilde?"

Bella nodded with a frown on her face as she thought about what had happened. How Brunhilde had tried to lay a claim on me, tried to tell me that she was better for me than Bella, and how Bella had absolutely lost her shit on her because she had felt the stirrings of jealousy. Although hers had more to do with the mate bond being threatened, the jealousy was still there to some degree.

_So he's … jealous? Is that the right emotion?_

"Yup." I looked at Jasper, who nodded slightly. "He just doesn't know what it is that he's feeling. Jasper is going to talk to him after class."

_Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that chat._ Bella snickered. Then she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. _And what will you be doing during our next lunch?_

I smirked, kind of evil; I could feel it. "Exacting revenge."

~*~UHS~*~

I smiled as I stood waiting at the bottom of the stairs that led to the dormitories of Gryffindor Tower. Everyone in our group, who was in Gryffindor, had been instrumental to clearing the room for tonight's event. Although, once word spread amongst the girls of Gryffindor, it wasn't that hard to get them to agree and push the boys out the door or up the stairs.

I had a feeling I would have a few peepers looking out over the balcony above later on though.

While Ginny and Hermione got Bella finished up for what I had planned, I enjoyed remembering my plan from this afternoon. Sure, I would have liked to have wrapped my hands around Michael's neck and given it a good squeeze for what he had done to my Bella, but I knew murdering one's classmate might be frowned upon, even if he wasn't from Hogwarts.

So instead, I exacted part of my revenge in the style of my brother Emmett. You see, once, on one of our many trips through high school in the Muggle world, there was this guy who was not intimidated by Emmett, or the looks that Rosalie would give him when he pestered her. He was so arrogant that he thought those looks weren't real, that she was only glaring at him because she was "with" Emmett. That she really wanted to be with him.

I snorted. He really was a special kind of stupid.

Instead of getting mad and beating the snot out of this kid, causing us to leave like I thought Emmett would, he did something better. He drove this kid to absolute madness using his speed as a vampire. When he'd have a class with this boy, he would move fast enough that he couldn't be seen. Emmett would flick things off his desk, smack him on the back of his head—lightly of course—and my favorite, he'd tip this boy's chair backward. But it didn't stop in the classroom. Emmett would do it in the halls, in the lunchroom, and he even pulled Jasper and I into doing it when we were out in the yard. Especially because I was the fastest.

And the boy very nearly went mad. The great thing about it was that Carlisle never found out, so we never got the "you should be bigger than the humans, and leave them alone" speech. It was awesome.

So I took a page out of his book and started doing the same thing. I managed to catch his attention when he walked through the doors to the Great Hall. I smirked when he actually froze at the glare I was sending his way before almost falling on his face when Viktor Krum walked into him from behind. By the time he had made it to where the Durmstrang boys were known to sit, he'd been head-slapped, tripped, and had his pants fall down. Each time, I was back in my seat before he'd even turned to see who had been tormenting him.

I couldn't help but let out a little chuckle because things had just not gone his way all afternoon. Who knew when they'd stop?

I'm brought out of my musings by a delicate cough. I looked up to see an absolute vision in blue looking down at me.

"Bella," I breathed. "You're stunning."

Bella smiled as she blushed. "Thank you, Edward." She looked around to see what Kreacher and I had set up while the girls were dressing her up. I knew what she could see. Floating candles, flowers in pretty vases all over the Common Room, and the phonograph from home playing her favorite Glenn Miller record.

"But what's all this?" Bella waved her hand around at everything, then down at her dress.

I reached my hand out to her to help guide her down the last few steps. I led her into the center the Common Room where the furniture had been moved to the side.

"This is because I can. Because you deserve to be courted properly." I kissed the side of the stunning smile she graced me with because I didn't want her to lose it. I held out an old fashioned dance card, which had already been filled in. I gently tied it around her wrist before placing another kiss on her pulse point. "And to ask you to save your entire dance card for me at the ball. Bella … will you do me the distinct honor of accompanying me to the Yule Ball on Christmas Eve?"

I could hear a few sniffles from the girls watching from the balcony, and if I could, so could Bella, but she ignored them.

"Oh, Edward." Bella sniffled herself. "I would love nothing more than to be your date for the Yule Ball."

This time I did kiss her on the mouth. Softly, sweetly, but so full of passion that I couldn't show her just yet. "Thank you, sweet girl. You have made me very happy." I stepped backward and held out my hand. "Would you like to dance?"

"I would love nothing more." Bella placed her hand in mine, and we danced the night away.

~*~UHS~*~

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**Awww ... to be asked on a date like that. Those were the days. Granted I'm not old enough to remember them but still ... the romance of it all.**

**Let me know what you think! See you in a fortnight.**


	14. Chapter Thirteen - The Yule Ball

**Hi everyone! It's been a long fortnight, but I'm so glad to be here and sharing this update with you.**

**Thanks go out to Pienuniek, and Sally Hopkinson, for their work on this chapter. These chapters would be nothing without them. Love you both!**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to SM and JK respectively. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'll let you get on with it. See you at the bottom!**

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**Chapter Thirteen – The Yule Ball**

In the days following my asking Bella to come to the ball with me, the castle came alive with chatter. Girls were talking about what they were going to wear—apparently Alice's shop in Diagon Alley was going to be making quite a bit of money because some had not brought formal wear with them. In fact, Alice was promising to drop them off the morning of the ball because Bella, Ginny, Hermione, and Luna were commandeering the Room of Requirement for the day so they could all get ready together. Alice, Rose, and Esme were going to help them.

The boys, however, were asking girls to the ball left, right, and center, all except for Harry.

It had taken Jasper much of the afternoon to convince Harry that what he was feeling when he found out about Hermione and Viktor was, indeed, jealousy. At first, he didn't want to admit, even to himself, that he liked Hermione as more than a friend. But eventually, Jasper talked him around, especially when he got him to reveal that Harry was upset because he'd thought that Hermione was going to be his partner for the ball because she had practiced the opening dance with him.

That was what I meant by not taking anything for granted. He should have asked Hermione to the Yule Ball, not just assumed. Because you know what they say when you assume.

So, because he had assumed, and then admitted to himself that he wanted Hermione to be his date due to the fact that he liked her, he hadn't asked anyone else. He was fast running out of time.

To nobody's surprise, Neville asked Ginny to go with him. I was right in what I said to Bella. Neville wasn't interested in girls … yet. He was doing Ginny a favor because she couldn't go with the person she really wanted to. Although, it may work out to her benefit if Draco's ideas came to fruition. I'd have to talk to Bella about helping him along.

But Harry had stalled. He had no idea who to ask now that Hermione had been asked by someone else. I hoped he'd come up with something soon.

I snickered to myself as I tiptoed down the moving staircases and into the entrance hall. Harry wasn't the only one having trouble coming up with a date for the Yule Ball. Due to Michael's recent bout of clumsiness and bad luck, he hadn't been successful in asking someone yet either. And thanks to my friendship with Viktor Krum, I was currently sneaking across the grass in front of the castle and onto the Flying Dutchman to be able to whisper things into Michael's subconscious.

Viktor hadn't been happy with his friend, at all. He had tried to explain that there was no way Michael would be able to come between Bella and me, and Viktor had even asked Hermione to get him some information to share with Michael to show what we were. Viktor'd had no luck. Like his American counterpart, it seemed the Durmstrang Michael was just as dumb, pigheaded, or just plain ignorant to listen to reason. Viktor had even gone to their Headmaster, Karkaroff, for some help but had just been waved away like an errant fly.

I snorted to myself as I reached the gangway leading up to the boat. Nice way to treat your champion, Karkaroff.

"Hello, Edward," Viktor whispered as he opened the door leading to the cabins.

"Hi, Viktor. Thanks for doing this."

"It is no worry. Michael should have listened."

I nodded. "He should have. Some people have to learn the hard way, I suppose."

Viktor gave me a small smile and led me through the maze of cabins to reach where he and Michael were bunking.

"Oh, you poor thing," I chuckled. "No wonder it was so easy for you to get me on board."

Viktor smirked at me with a shrug watching as I crept towards Michael's bed. "Ah, Michael, you shall never mess with another's mate when I am done with you," I whispered as I leaned down closer to his ear. With the softest lilt to my voice, I spoke to him. "You should never cross a vampire, dear Michael. If I were more monster than man, I would have already sucked you dry for that stunt you tried to pull." I lowered my voice even further. "Maybe I should slip and make one exception to my rule. Maybe I should take every ounce of blood that is inside your very delicate, very breakable body. Hmmm … I don't think Bella would be too upset." I smiled as his dreams of girls changed to something darker, something more sinister. I breathed the last part directly into his ear. "See you in the dark, Michael."

I smiled at Viktor as I stood. I returned to the door the same way Viktor had led me in. It was as I stepped out of the door that Michael's dreams turned exceptionally dark. He dreamt of being chased, not being caught, but being chased through dark shadows, forests, and streets. When I had made it halfway between the Flying Dutchman and the castle, Michael woke up the whole boat with how loud he screamed because whatever—or whoever—was chasing him had caught him. The part that woke him was the feel of very sharp teeth slicing through his neck.

My chuckle was just as dark, and sinister, as the thing that had been stalking—the definitively not entirely human—Michael in the shadows of his dreams.

~*~UHS~*~

Christmas Eve morning was curiously silent. You would expect that the girls would be up early to start beautifying themselves for the ball, especially those who started to get interested in boys. But no, everyone, boys and girls, were sleeping in. Well, almost everyone. Fred and George were up and sneaking around.

They had been working on something special, something their mother would absolutely kill them for, if she ever found out. They had decided to go ahead with their idea of opening a store in Diagon Alley. They were hoping that finishing school would soften the blow for Molly, but I had a feeling she'd still blow her top when she found out. And so, instead of doing their work at home, they were creating their … shall we say … masterpieces in their spare time and testing them on the unsuspecting folk around the castle. When they could, it was the Slytherins. But today, they decided their younger brother would be the best candidate.

And they chose him because everyone within the castle knew that Ron Weasley had a sweet tooth. He could never say no to sweets.

I was sitting at my desk, getting a head start on what I wanted to do today—hoping one of the others would help—and learning as much about the designs on the outside of the egg as possible, when I heard Fred and George sneak into Ron's dormitory. They left their budding new design on his bedside table, then high-tailed it out of there, only to run down to me in the Common Room.

"What are you two up to?" I asked with only mild curiosity. The markings on the egg had really intrigued me. "And is it smart to do it to your brother?"

They both snickered before saying together, "No, probably not. But just wait …"

I leaned back in my seat and listened to Ron's heartbeat. I really was interested in what they were going to do to him. It didn't take long for his heartbeat to indicate that he was waking up. Once he had stretched, yawned, and relaxed back in his bed, he looked around the room. Ron knew he had to get up because those who were not going to the ball were leaving on the train early this morning. But something—the same something the twins had placed on his nightstand—caught his attention.

There on Ron's nightstand was a cupcake. And it was no ordinary cupcake. The twins had managed to get one that was Ron's favorite. Chocolate with melted chocolate inside. But it was the decoration on top that made all the difference. They had added a large dollop of cream, swirled to perfection. To me, it was almost too perfect. But for someone like Ron, it was the best thing to wake up to on Christmas Eve morning.

Without thinking through the consequences of eating a random cupcake left at his bedside—considering who his brothers were—he reached out, snagged the cupcake, and took the biggest bite his mouth would allow, making sure he got the majority of the cream in that first bite. At first, nothing happened, causing me to look over at Fred and George.

They shushed me, or at least tried to, with their fingers over their mouths. They looked kind of ridiculous with their wide smiles and a finger cover it, all the while snickering.

I tuned back into Ron when there was a startled shout from his dormitory. I found him staring into the mirror that hung in every dorm, and it seemed that in the few seconds I had been looking at the twins, Ron had sprouted a fine layer of yellow feathers.

I froze, snorted, and then burst out into raucous laughter. Fred and George following closely behind.

"That's brilliant!" I chuckled. "What do you call that invention?"

Fred couldn't answer, he was laughing so hard, and his face was red. So George answered instead. "Canary Cream. Do you think they'll be a hit?"

I couldn't help snickering. "Oh, yeah. Emmett will love them, as will the kids here at school. Your mother, not so much. How long does it last?"

"Phew." Fred breathed through his nose, trying to calm down. "Only a few hours. They should be gone by the time he gets home."

"Probably a good th …"

"FRED! GEORGE!" Ron finally figured out what had happened to him. Why it took him that long to figure it out, I didn't know, but he flew down the stairs, bellowing for his brothers. Once they saw him, though, they bolted out through the portrait door.

I couldn't help but laugh as Ron chased after them, covered head to toe in yellow feathers. I had a feeling Canary Cream was going to be a great success.

It didn't take long for the rest of Gryffindor Tower to come alive after Ron's bellowing. His fellow dormmates making their way down first. It wasn't long before Bella made her way down to me. I had gone back to studying the egg, but I felt when she stepped into the Common Room.

"Hey there, beautiful. Sleep well?"

Bella wrapped her arms around my shoulders, resting her forehead on the back of my head. "Mmhmm," she hummed.

"Uh oh." I tugged on her arm, pulling her around to my lap, as I pushed my chair backwards. "You didn't have any dreams, and you slept deeply. Why so tired?"

Bella shrugged but smiled as she cuddled into me. "Didn't you hear?"

I pulled her to my chest and smiled into her hair. "Could it be the fact that you girls were so excited about tonight that you were up late giggling with the Hermione, Ginny, and the other girls in your room?"

"Maaaayyyybbbeee." Bella giggled again. She looked up at me through her eyelashes. "I'm looking forward to tonight, Edward. Thank you for humoring my whims and courting me the way you would have in your youth."

I leaned down and pressed my lips gently to hers, keeping the kiss light but full of meaning. "You're welcome," I whispered.

We sat quietly for a few minutes as the younger students got up and prepared to leave for the Christmas break.

"What were you doing when I came down here?" Bella sat up and turned around. "Oh, you were studying the egg." She leaned forward, looked at the egg, before looking over my notes.

"Yeah." I ran my hand through my hair.

"What did you find out?"

"Not a whole lot. It's decorated with a crude drawing of Hogwarts castle and the grounds. But that in itself could be a clue. Look at the castle."

I pointed to different sections I had discovered.

"Huh. Some parts of the castle have a large X over them." Bella fell silent as she looked all around the outside of the egg. "You think that means it _doesn't_ lead to those sections, right?"

"Right. But take a closer look. Where are those crosses?"

Bella spun the egg around again, looking at the placements of those crosses. "They're roughly covering the Common Rooms for each of the houses. That makes sense because you can't go into another house's Common Room without an invitation."

"Exactly. But I'm not sure what this means when we combine it with the Siren speak. We'll just have to keep looking."

_Edward, can you let Bella and the girls know we're here?_ Alice called out when they walked into the entrance hall. A large group of girls were waiting for her because she had their dresses for the ball this evening.

Bella had curled back into my chest after looking at the egg.

I kissed her forehead before gently pulling her chin up so she was looking at me. "It seems that your beautification team has arrived. Alice would like one of you girls to meet them in the entrance hall to help her, Rose, and Esme find the Room of Requirement."

"My beautification team?" Bella asked, sitting up and placing her hands on her heart. "Are you saying I need one?"

I chuckled at her putout tone and face. "You know I think you're gorgeous. You could don whatever dress you hid from me, with nothing else, and you'd still be the most beautiful girl in the whole school tonight."

"Aww, thank you." Bella kissed me. "But this process is as much for me as it is for you." She snickered. "I wanna knock you off your feet."

I laughed before I kissed her lips. "Then I look forward to it." I stood her on her feet. "Go get Ginny and Hermione up while I send Kreacher down to Luna to let her know."

There was a pop behind me as Bella kissed me before heading out of the Common Room after giving Kreacher a hug.

"Kreacher, thank you for coming. Can you go down to the Ravenclaw Common Room and let Luna know to head up to the Room of Requirement?"

"Certainly, Master Edward, and you're welcome." Kreacher bowed and was gone as quickly as he came.

The girls waved as they walked past me and out through the portrait. Harry had managed to fall back asleep after Ron's outburst earlier, and Neville was doing some catch-up reading. So, I went back to studying the egg. I had been banned from looking for Bella while they were all getting ready for the ball.

Even after all these years, I still didn't know why it took Esme, Alice, and Rose all day to get ready. And now they've dragged Bella, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna into it. I knew it would be worth the wait, but still, why did they have to keep her away from me all day?

I shook my head as I snorted. I was sounding like a spoiled brat who had their favorite toy taken away. Bella was not a toy; she was the love of my life, and I knew she wanted this night to be special. I also knew she was going to be stunning when she walked down the stairs toward me where I would be waiting in the entrance hall.

I couldn't wait.

~*~UHS~*~

Around six o'clock, the boys started filtering back into the Common Room to start getting ready for the ball. I had already had my shower, attempted to tame my hair—giving up after a few minutes because it was useless—and dressed in some sweats and a T-shirt. I'd get into my dress robes just before I was due to head down to the entrance hall to meet Bella and the others. I thought about slicking my hair back, like it was done when I was human, but I knew Bella wouldn't like that, and I refrained from that bit of historical accuracy.

I had spent the day studying the images on the egg but had not any more luck deciphering it. After Christmas break, I was going to take a molding of the egg down to see if Moody had any information for me, considering he wasn't technically our teacher, so he wasn't breaking any rules.

Harry and Neville were going to help me but ended up doing other things for the day, and that was fine. The twins had hounded their fellow classmates with their Canary Cream for a good portion of the day before our classmates wizened up and stopped eating random food with cream on it. I couldn't believe how many of them kept eating random food. That screamed big red flag to me.

Neville walked into the Common Room at seven-thirty to find me there waiting for the rest of our friends.

"Ready for this?" he asked, standing next to me in the robes Esme had purchased for him over the summer.

"Absolutely. I cannot wait to see what Bella is dressed in."

Neville was about to say something else when Harry stomped down the stairs. He had finally wrangled a date, or more to the point, one of the girls had asked him to the dance. And since he'd not managed to ask anyone else, he had no reason to say no. Cho Chang was a beautiful girl and Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. It seemed she'd had her eye on Harry for quite some time but had never had a reason to seek him out … that was until the ball was announced.

Apart from the fact that Harry wasn't going to the ball with Hermione, he was upset at the fact that he had to dance first, in front of everyone. He was embarrassed even though he had been taught the dance; he knew he wasn't as coordinated as the older champions, me especially.

"You'll be fine, Harry. The more you worry about it, the bigger the chance of making a mistake."

"That's easy for you to say!" he grumbled as he stood with us, waiting for Fred and George. "You had all of those lessons when you were a boy, when dancing was actually popular. Why do we have to do it now?"

I frowned over at my friend, who seemed grumpier than normal. "Because it's been a tradition of the Triwizard tournament since its inception," I said, quoting Professor McGonagall. "But not only that; it's a fun way to spend an evening together without having to study."

"Not just that, a guy who can dance well will get dances with not just his partner for the evening"—Neville glanced sneakily at Harry from the corner of his eye— "but just about any girl of their choosing."

Harry went quiet, thoughtful.

"Besides, dancing never goes out of style. And a gentleman who knows how to dance knows how to impress the ladies." I smirked when his thoughts turned to Hermione choosing him over Viktor Krum because he could dance better.

Once Fred and George joined us, we made our way down to the entrance hall to await the arrival of our dates. I, for one, couldn't wait to see how Bella looked. She'd grown up so much as of late that she barely resembled the young girl I'd first met. She still had some filling out to do, but you could see the gorgeous young woman she was going to be.

We'd only been waiting for a few minutes when the entrance hall became quiet. I wondered why, when a voice spoke to me, clear as day, in my mind. It caused me to spin around so fast I thought I was going to tip over.

_Edward,_ she called in the sultriest voice I'd ever heard her use. _And here I thought you wanted to watch me walk down the stairs toward you. I thought you'd be looking at them already._

I had been waiting to hear from one of the girls before I'd looked up the stairs. It seems my smart girl had anticipated that and had used her shield to block all their thoughts. I was going to reply to her sarcastically but was stunned into a stupor the very second my eyes found her.

Bella was stunning. Not a hint of the young girl to be seen anywhere. She was all beautiful young woman. I noticed from the corner of my eye that Hermione was dressed in blue, Ginny in pink, and Luna in purple, but other than that, I couldn't tell you anything else.

All I could see was Bella. Her dress was decidedly Asian-themed, much like a kimono. It was silver with pink trimmings and pink flowers embroidered on or woven into the, what I guess was, spider's silk and hugged curves I hadn't known she had yet. Bella had her hair up on her head, all wavy in design, with small pink flowers pinned into the up-do. I was so enamored by her that I was stuck where I was, pinned to the floor with my mouth hanging open, which caused Bella to blush, completing the look.

_Thank you, Edward. You look … so handsome in your dress robes._

I was just about to walk over to meet Bella at the bottom of the Grand Staircase when, none other than, Michael made his way over to her. I was outraged, but it was held back by the look of complete disgust that came over Bella's face. I decided to let him make a complete fool of himself before I stepped in. I had no doubt Bella could counter everything he said to her.

"So, you've decided to join me after all?" The smug bastard had the audacity to ask of Bella.

"No. I'm afraid all my dances are taken tonight, and not by you." Bella finished before he could interrupt and claim them for himself. "In fact, I see my mate coming this way now."

Michael snorted, a decidedly animal sound. Not something I'd heard from him before. "You will be giving me a dance. I will have nothing less."

Bella crossed her arms, her mating bracelet standing out for all to see. The "Mated" glowing bright red against the silver of her dress. I could feel mine burning against the skin of my arm and knew mine was doing the same. Bella stared down at the boy who was annoying her to no end. Her eyebrow rose at his tone, something I didn't like what-so-ever, and stared down at him. "I said no. N-O. You are so far from my type that even if I didn't have a mate, I wouldn't entertain notions from a smug, arrogant prick like you. I suggest you stay far away from me before I do something I will not regret."

By this time, you could have heard a pin drop with how quiet the entrance hall had gotten. The students—not only from Hogwarts but from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, as well—had all stopped to stare at the spectacle Michael was making. I'd decided that I'd had enough and was intervening before it got any worse.

"Bella," Michael's voice took on a seductive quality, making my blood boil and my hair to stand on end. He would stop at nothing, but this tone showed me there was more to Michael, as I had suspected since I turned his dreams into nightmares. "I insist that I have your dances tonight. It is the way it was supposed to be, you and me, nobody else."

I could handle a lot. I knew people would find my Bella attractive, and some—like this douchebag—would attempt to steal her away from me. Either by talking or flirting, but reaching out to touch was not something I was willing to tolerate. So when Michael reached out to try and pull her hand from where she had crossed her arms, I had reached my limit.

I snatched him up before he had a chance to make contact, causing our onlookers to gasp in surprise. I held him above my head, only to start spinning him around like a top or a basketball in the hands of one of the best. At first, he protested, but his words were drowned out by not only the speed in which I was spinning him but by the sound of clapping and cheering that had arisen from those watching.

I looked up at him to see that his perfectly coiffed hairdo had come undone to reveal something I never expected to see. His hair covered pointed ears and small horns located just above his temples. The students, who had moved into a circle around me, had to duck when his shoes came off to reveal that he had hooves instead of feet.

Nobody had noticed yet due to the speed of my spins, but I figured now was the time, well that and his thoughts had taken a decidedly green turn. I didn't want him to ruin my dress robes. There were more gasps as I slowed him down to a speed that they could see the differences, and the outrage was loud. It wasn't the fact that he was a creature instead of a human, it was the fact that he had tried to use that to pull mates apart that they were appalled at.

When I set Michael down on his wobbly hooves, I may have "accidentally" run my nails far enough down his pants to have them fall off to reveal the last part he was hiding. Hairier than normal legs sticking out of his tighty whities. Michael appeared to be not a full-blooded creature but enough that he could use it to his advantage.

"A faun. I should have guessed," I growled when he focused on me. "There's no other creature in the world more arrogant, more pig-headed, or more focused on getting what he cannot have than a faun."

"What? Not up for a little competition? It bothers you that I'm a faun, doesn't it?"

I heard Bella snort from behind me at Michael's words, and I couldn't help but smirk as she wrapped her arms around my waist. Michael frowned at her actions.

"The fact that you are a faun doesn't bother me at all." I waved my hand up and down my own body. "Hello, vampire. And my gorgeous mate is a Veela. But that's where the issue lies. Civilized creatures, in search of employment or a decent education, would be much more welcome in the wizarding world if it weren't for cretins like you. Those who hide their otherness and use it to get what they want. That is what's bothering me about this whole situation. You tried to seduce a mated Veela. And not just a mated one, but one mated to a vampire. As a creature yourself, you should know the mating habits and rituals of other creatures and should respect the mating bond. You are nothing but a stupid little boy who throws tantrums at not being able to get his way."

I pulled Bella's hand from my waist, helping her to stand next to me as I turned to face her. I reached into my pocket and pulled a couple of items from it. As the others around the entrance hall started to go back to what they were doing, I slid both items over the hand I was holding. One was a dance card—already filled out with my name in just about every slot—and the other was a silver and pink corsage that Esme had come to give me earlier.

Michael watched our interaction with anger swirling in his eyes. Not just at being exposed but by what I had said.

"My beautiful, Bella, are you ready for a night of dancing and well-mannered frivolity as my date for the Yule Ball?"

"It would be my honor, Edward. I couldn't imagine sharing this night with anyone else." Bella leaned up and placed a sweet but passionate kiss on my lips before we both turned to face Michael, her arm looping with mine.

Our family and friends stood around and behind us as Bella and I looked down at the insignificant boy who was shrinking in on himself.

"If you would excuse us, we have a ball to attend." I guided Bella around him and walked toward the doors that led to the Great Hall where Professor Dumbledore was standing having a whispered argument with Headmaster Karkaroff.

"Well, if you don't, I will," Professor Dumbledore stated just as we arrived at the doors. "Edward, Bella. If you don't mind waiting over with the other champions, just to this side here, we'll get everyone else situated before you come in. I just have something to handle first."

Bella and I nodded before we moved off to the side to let the rest of our group past, including Esme, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett. The four champions and their dates watched as Dumbledore grabbed Karkaroff by the arm and started leading him across the room.

"Do you zink Professor Dumbley-dorr is going to do zomething about Michael?" Fleur asked. They had all seen the confrontation.

"I certainly hope so. I had talked to Karkaroff before, he said to ignore it, that Michael would not cause problems," Viktor grumbled.

Hermione patted his arm that hers was looped through. "He was obviously very much mistaken. How could he let him make such a terrible spectacle?"

_Kinda like you?_ Harry thought mulishly. _You should be here with me._ Harry then sighed quietly. _It's not your fault. I should have asked._

We watched in silence as Dumbledore and Karkaroff spoke to Michael before Karkaroff grabbed Michael by the arm and stormed out of the entrance hall in the direction of the Flying Dutchman.

"Guess he won't be joining us after all," Bella murmured.

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." I snorted.

We stood and chatted quietly until we were interrupted by Professor Dumbledore's voice floating out to us from the Great Hall.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, professors and students, and esteemed guests. I'm so glad you could join us here at Hogwarts for this auspicious occasion. Before we sit down for dinner, let's have a round of applause for our four champions and their dates. Viktor Krum and Hermione Granger, Edward Masen and Isabella Swan, Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies, and last but not least, Harry Potter and Cho Chang!"

We all entered the Great Hall when our names were called to the applause of everyone inside. The girls giving off a small wave while the boys nodded their heads in recognition, even Krum, who was known to slouch when he received attention.

The Great Hall was simply beautiful. Every year at Christmas, I was surprised by how they could keep it the same, yet make it so different, but this time, it was completely different from the years before. The elves had outdone themselves. In the corners where the ends of the teachers' table would have been were two large trees, decorated to the hilt, while in the center of them was a much larger, almost enormous, tree decorated much the same. The walls, floor, and ceiling were covered in a sparkling silver frost that made everything glow softly in the candlelight, with garlands of mistletoe and ivy crisscrossing the top of the hall to soften the moonlight coming through the enchanted ceiling.

Instead of the long house tables that usually dominated the Great Hall, there were about a hundred round tables spread out across the hall and one larger round table the judges were going to be sitting at.

_Wow,_ Bella thought, looking around in awe. _I've never seen the Great Hall look this magnificent before._

"I know," I whispered. "It's just gorgeous. Although, nothing like yourself."

_Smooth._ Bella smirked up at me.

I kissed her head as Professor McGonagall guided us to sit at the table with herself, Professor Dumbledore, and the other judges from the Triwizard Tournament. The one who surprised me, though, was Percy Weasley, sitting in the place marked for Barty Crouch.

Percy looked at me meaningfully. _Edward come and sit near me. I have something I need to discuss with you._

I nodded, guiding Bella into the chair between Percy and myself. Cho sat on my other side, then Harry, Fleur, Roger, Hermione, and Krum.

"Good to see you, Percy," Bella said as she sat down.

"You as well, Bella. How's our boy going in the tournament?"

"Which one?" she asked cheekily, causing us to laugh. "Edward may be coming last in points but his round was the cleanest. He should have been scored higher as far as I'm concerned."

By this time, Dumbledore and the other judges had sat down—including Karkaroff—and were listening intently to our conversation. Even the other champions were listening because they agreed with our assessment.

Percy frowned. "Why wasn't Edward scored very high if he had a clean round?"

Bella looked at the judges while she answered. "Because even though he is a magical, mythical being, he didn't actually use his wand against the dragon. We know that it's a magical competition, but he was using his God-given mythical talents to do what he had to do. As long as he got the egg, why did it matter how he got it?"

I almost laughed at the fact that the other champions were nodding with Bella while also looking over at the judges. Professor McGonagall had a small smile on her face and, from what I could tell from her thoughts, had argued that very point after the first task. Karkaroff had argued that she was trying to pad the odds in Hogwarts' favor because of the champions. But it seemed that with the other champion's endorsements, they were not going to exclude my talents any further. Well, except maybe Headmaster Karkaroff.

"Hmm, well that doesn't seem fair. I shall endeavor to talk to Mr. Crouch about it when I return to the Ministry." Percy gave me a meaningful look over Bella's head.

I nodded because Percy wanted to tell me something when everyone else was going to be distracted by dinner.

At that thought, Professor Dumbledore stood from his chair. "On every plate is a menu for tonight's dinner. You have three choices per course; to order your choice, look down at your plate and say 'pumpkin soup'." The second Professor Dumbledore finished speaking, pumpkin soup filled his bowl. "Bon appetite!"

Chatter broke out around the Great Hall as people picked up their menus, began ordering food, and had conversations with those at their tables. Bella and I both ordered pumpkin soup to start before we initiated a bland conversation with Percy. It was the one he was having with me silently that was more interesting.

_I'm concerned, Edward._

I frowned slightly. "What about?"

Bella perked up at my whisper but engaged Cho on the other side of me to distract her from my conversation.

_You can see that I'm sitting here at Mr. Crouch's seat._ I nodded to show I had heard him. _He's been sick, missing work, and not acting like himself. He won't talk to me, so I have no idea what's going on with him._

"He's been missing work?"

Percy nodded as he looked around the table to make sure we hadn't been overheard. _I don't know what's happening._ _While I appreciate the fact that he's been giving me more responsibility by sitting in for him, this isn't the way I wanted to get higher in the Ministry. What do I do?_

"Keep an eye on things, and keep me in the loop. I can't help if I don't know everything." Percy nodded to my instructions. "For tonight though, sit back and enjoy the evening."

"That's what I plan on doing," Bella agreed, looking up at me through her lashes. She held up her left hand with her corsage and dance card. "Look at that, my dance card is just about full."

I reach out and clutch her hand, giving it a small kiss. "That is very true, my love. I could always fill in the other spaces."

Bella released a fabulous giggle. "No. Just in case Daddy or Emmett or Jasper would like a dance. Maybe I should leave a few free."

I sigh, playfully. "If you must."

"I must." Bella giggled before going back to her dinner.

I leaned back before taking another bite from my plate. As I did so, I ranged out my hearing. Now that Karkaroff was back at the table, I wanted to see what had happened to Michael. It seemed that Karkaroff's solution was to expel Michael from school, and not because of what he had tried with Bella but because he was a faun. While I believed he should have been punished for his actions, I'm not sure this was the way to go about it. Maybe Professor Dumbledore could help him get in somewhere else; he needed proper schooling.

Once dinner was finished, Professor Dumbledore stood from the table and made his way to the edge of the dance floor. Everyone in the Great Hall fell silent as he stood and waited. When it was silent, he spoke. "I want to thank you, once again, for joining us for this auspicious occasion. Now that dinner is finished, I would like to invite the champions and their dates to start the dancing with the opening dance."

As if we had synchronized it, Harry, Viktor, Roger, and I stood and held our hands out to our dates. Bella smiled beautifully up at me as she placed her hand in mine, and I helped her stand from the table. When she was safely on her feet, I led her to the dance floor behind Professor Dumbledore, and we stood in the typical dance pose.

_I've been looking forward to this all evening,_ Bella thought to me.

"I have as well, beautiful." I smiled as Bella's blush made a rare appearance just as the music started to play.

The music was whimsical, and the dance more so. As the music changed, our hand positions swapped sides, then changed back as the music changed again. As the most whimsical notes played, I lifted Bella into the air over my head, bringing out a beautiful smile. The dance was simultaneously the easiest and most difficult dance I had ever performed. I loved it because it kept my mind occupied but kept me close to my girl.

I was so absorbed in the dance, and the thoughts swirling through Bella's head, I didn't notice when others joined in. And neither did Bella. It wasn't until the music had stopped and we stepped back, executed a bow and a curtsey to each other, and stood back up that we both realized how absorbed we had become.

I smiled down at Bella, igniting her blush, but along with the blush came the smile that was just for me. And I knew when her scent changed for the second time that smile would be the one that would bring me to my knees. I couldn't wait.

"Thank you for a glorious dance, Bella."

"And you as well, Edward." Bella answered, as the women of my time would have done, before she giggled. "That was so much fun! Thank you, Edward, for treating this dance like something you would have done when you were human."

I looped Bella's arm through mine and went over to Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rose. "The night is still young, my dear, and now it's time for you to dance with your brothers while I take a spin with Alice and Rose."

Bella laughed as Emmett reached out and snatched her from my arms for his turn around the floor. Our laughter followed them out onto the dance floor.

"Well, fair Rosalie, would you like to dance?" I held my hand in her direction as Jasper took Alice's hand.

Rose bobbed into a small curtsey, as would have been custom in our day, and placed her hand in mine. "I would like that very much."

For the next few hours, the Great Hall was like one of the dance clubs the others had gone to in the States. Including the use of a live band and DJ. I even graciously stepped aside when Viktor asked if Bella would like to dance with him; of course, it helped that I actually liked the guy. And to see Bella laughing at his antics on the dance floor was well worth it. Viktor really was a ham, but he loved to make people laugh, even with his surly attitude everywhere else.

But I had a feeling it was an act to keep people at arm's length because they always wanted something from him. Whereas with us, he could be who he was without having to worry that we wanted something. Viktor felt nothing but relief around all of us, according to Jasper, and that let him be free to be who he was.

I was keeping an eye on the time because I had a plan for something I wanted to do with Bella before we had to go inside for the night. When it was time, I danced Bella off to the side of the dance floor.

"What are we doing?" Bella asked when we stopped.

I kissed her gently on the lips, hoping to convey my love for her. "I was hoping you would accompany me on a walk through the gardens. It's something we don't get to do regularly."

"Or at all, seeing that we have a bedtime while at school. I'd love to see what the gardens look like in the moonlight." Bella kissed my cheek. "Thank you for thinking of it."

I looped her arm through mine and waved to our friends. "You're welcome. It's another thing I would have done in my human lifetime. Granted"—I smirked—"we would have been supervised. Couldn't let anything untoward happen."

Bella snorted. "Of course not." She went quiet for a few moments. "Is that something that happened a lot? Stolen kisses in the moonlight? Short, unsatisfying fumbles when no-one was looking?"

I led her out through the main doors and around the corner to where the gardens were located while I thought about my answer. "It did happen, yes."

Bella gasped, scandalized, before giggling.

"But it was more with teenagers bursting full of hormones who were left to their own devices and adults feeling the full effect of lust—not necessarily love—and unchaperoned."

"I have a feeling I'll understand that sooner rather than later." Bella laughed. "Do you think it was because they were told they couldn't, that it wasn't appropriate for them to show that aspect of what they were feeling? And that was why it happened?"

I nodded. "Sure, that's part of it. Whenever someone is told they can't have something, that's the first thing they want—to have it. But I think it's also because those hormones make us feel good. Why would you want to stop something that makes you feel good?"

Bella was about to reply when we heard a scoff from ahead of us. Both of us fell quiet and slowed to a stop as the voice spoke.

"I don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor." There was a pop, rustle, and squeal that followed. I caught the thoughts of students fleeing from Snape's zap to the bush they had been hiding behind.

"You cannot deny it's happening, Severus," a hushed voice whispered out anxiously. This person was scared.

_Is that Karkaroff? And Snape?_ Bella's head snapped up in my direction.

I nodded and placed my finger over my mouth. I wanted to hear what was being said, considering both of them had their minds closed.

Karkaroff continued. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I'm seriously concerned. I can't …"

"Then flee," Snape growled. "I will make your excuses. I am, however, staying at Hogwarts."

I knew they were close enough to catch us listening, if we didn't do something. So I tugged on Bella's arm and guided her around the corner. We caught Karkaroff fiddling with his sleeve as we walked in their path. Snape had his wand out and was blasting the rose bushes. The students who were zapped ran out from behind the bushes, fixing their clothes.

"That's ten points from both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Stebbins and Fawcett. We cannot leave these _children_ unsupervised." Snape sneered in our direction. "What are you two doing here?"

"Going for a walk in the moonlight." Bella smiled in Snape's direction. "Or are we not allowed to do that anymore?"

"Just don't let me catch you doing anything … unsavory." Snape huffed, walking past, his robes billowing behind him. Karkaroff had frozen when he had spotted us, but as Snape pushed past us, he quickly followed, looking as nervous and worried as he had sounded earlier.

_Wonder what that was about? And since when have they been on a first name basis?_ Bella thought, watching their retreating forms.

"I have no idea. But I'll be keeping a closer eye than normal on them."

"Sounds like a good idea." Bella wrapped herself around my arm before she giggled. "Is that what happens when people with hormones running wild are left to their own devices?"

I could see Fawcett and Stebbins running off, fixing their clothes through Bella's memories, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"It can be. Sixteen and seventeen-year-old hormones are the strongest. They tend to find any place they can to act on them, even, or especially, the most ridiculous or unromantic ones. Just somewhere that is semi-private."

"It's a good thing we have the Room of Requirement because _when _we get to that point, I want privacy," Bella said aloud, causing me to stumble a little. She giggled again before her voice dropped into a low, seductive tone. "Oh, Edward, I know what will happen when my scent changes for the second time. And I won't want to share any part of you where anyone else could see or interrupt. We are going to set this castle on fire."

I managed to pull myself together but leaned down and placed my lips at her ear. "That's, of course, if we're still at Hogwarts, my dear. Because if we aren't, then I have a feeling it will be the world we will set on fire."

"Mmm, I'm looking forward to it," Bella whispered back, looking up at me through her lashes. I could tell that once her scent changed that look would be setting me on fire. I couldn't wait.

We walked slowly around the gardens, enjoying the fragrances of the roses, the sparkling stars in the inky black sky, and each other's company, even if we weren't saying anything. That was the brilliance of a relationship as close as ours—we could hold whole conversations while saying nothing at all.

It was as I led Bella over to a bench with an arch over the top, covered in roses, next to a reindeer fountain, that we began to overhear another conversation in the garden. We looked around the edge of the fountain to see two larger-than-normal silhouette's with their backs to the fountain.

_Is that who I think it is?_ I heard Bella think.

"Yes, and from his thoughts, he's about to put himself out there. I hope this goes well for him."

That was when I started cycling through the different frequencies I listened on, and once again, that same static signal appeared on a thought frequency that wasn't usually used. The worst part about this signal was that I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, or who it was.

_Me too,_ Bella thought just before Hagrid started to speak.

"Momen' I saw yeh, I knew." Hagrid's voice was surprisingly husky. Well, huskier than normal.

As much as I didn't want to listen to this conversation, I wanted to make sure Hagrid wasn't going to get hurt. Besides, there was no way we could escape without being seen. It seemed that we weren't the only ones to escape to the gardens. A couple of older Gryffindors were up the path a little farther, and quite busy, while a couple of Slytherins were back the way we came and just as busy.

Bella snorted quietly as she too looked around. _It seems hormones are hitting everyone, everywhere._

Madame Maxime looked at Hagrid. "Knew what, 'Agrid?" she asked with a purr-like quality to her voice.

_I don't know that this is going to go well. Madame Maxime doesn't strike me as one who will reveal her history easily._

"I know," I whispered. "But we can't stop it from happening."

_He'll be hurt._

"And we'll be there for him."

Hagrid's voice interrupted us. "I jus' knew … knew you were like me … Was it yer mother or yer father?"

"I 'ave no idea what you me …"

"It was me mother," Hagrid interrupted quietly. "She was one of the last ones in Britain. Not that I remember much, she left when I was little, not really the maternal sort. I mean, it's not in their nature, is it?"

Bella and I were silent, watching the scene unfold. We couldn't take our eyes away from it. It was like a train wreck waiting to happen.

"Me dad was hear'-broken when she left, and he had to raise me by himself. He was such a little fellow, I could place him on top o' the dresser by the time I was six. It used to make 'im laugh even when 'e was mad at me." Hagrid's voice broke as he spoke softly about his father. "Dad died jus' after I started school. 'Ad to make me own way after that. But thank God for Professor Dumbledore. He's been real good to me. But enough abou' me, what abou' you? What side 'ave you got it on?"

_Oh, no,_ Bella and I both thought as Madame Maxime stood from the bench they had been sitting on and pulled her coat tighter around her.

Maxime's voice was colder than the air around us as she spoke. "It is very chilly. I think I will go in now."

"Eh?" Hagrid's voice stopped Maxime as she went to walk away. "Please? Don' go … I've never met another before!"

"_Anozzer_ what, 'Agrid?" Maxime hissed at Hagrid, spinning to face him.

I cringed. I wanted to call out to Hagrid, to stop him from answering that question. To stop him from continuing with this conversation. The buzzing in my head had reached a fever pitch. I wished I could stop it because it was annoying that I didn't know what it was or where it was coming from.

_Please stop, Hagrid!_ Bella cried out silently. _She's not going to be forthcoming, or accepting, at all._

All we could do is watch on silently.

"Another half-gian' o' course," Hagrid answered Maxime as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I suppose to him it was.

"'Ow dare you!" Madame Maxime exploded, scaring our couples from their hiding places. Bella jumped beside me. "I 'ave nevair been more insulted in all my life. 'Alf-giant? Moi? I 'ave …" Maxime sputtered. "I 'ave big bones."

With a sniffle, Madame Maxime spun around and stormed back inside—the way Bella and I had come from—leaving poor Hagrid sitting beside the fountain in shock.

Bella was about to get up and comfort Hagrid because the poor guy broke down into sobs. I pulled Bella away from the scene, leaving Hagrid to grieve in peace. And as we walked away, the buzzing in my head on that obscure frequency disappeared as well.

"How dare she!" Bella fumed quietly. "She broke his heart. Why couldn't she have been much nicer to him?"

"How bad could giants be, Bella? I mean, they accepted our family and me."

Bella stopped and spun to face me. She looked around at the crowded entrance hall before pulling me over to a secluded corner behind a statue. "They're vicious, Edward. More so than vampires could ever be because they don't consider their size like we do," she whispered.

I paused for a moment. "How is it that giants are known for their viciousness, but we have two half-giants in our midst yet no issues?"

"I have no idea." Bella shrugged. "Maybe because they're only half-giants it dilutes their aggressiveness and allows them to live normal lives."

"Rita Skeeter would have a field day with this knowledge."

Bella groaned. "Don't mention that woman to me. C'mon, let's go enjoy the rest of the dance before we have to head home in the morning for Christmas."

I snickered. "'Kay. I haven't had enough dances with you yet."

I led Bella back into the Great Hall and twirled her back onto the dance floor. We only had about an hour until the ball was going to end, and I was going to enjoy every minute we had left.

~*~UHS~*~

*_the conversations between Snape and Karkaroff, and Hagrid and Maxime were borrowed from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire pages 370 to 373._

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**The comments on the teasers for this weeks chapter were entertaining, to say the least. I cannot wait for your reactions to the whole thing.**

**See you in a fortnight!**


	15. Chapter Fourteen - Inside the Golden Egg

**Hello everyone! It's so nice to be at the end of this fortnight. It's been a very long week. I'm so glad for our three day weekend.**

**These chapters wouldn't be as interesting if it wasn't for the great team I have working with me. Pienuniek and Sally there would be no way I could do this without either of you. Thank you.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to SM and JK Rowling respectively. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**See you at the bottom.**

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**Chapter Fourteen – Inside the Golden Egg**

"Edward? Are you ready to head to potions?" Bella called, stepping through the portrait. She had one foot in and one foot out.

I'd had a free period while the others had gone to various lessons, so I was doing some advanced reading for potions.

"Yeah, baby," I said absentmindedly. I was about to continue on when I was interrupted by a beautiful brunette crashing into my side and squeezing as tight as she could. "Whoa, what's this?"

_You called me baby. I never thought I would get so much joy out of a silly pet name._ _I love each time you call me sweetheart or baby girl, but this one is just silly and something every guy calls his girlfriend. It's just silly._

"Oh." I shrugged sheepishly before I wrapped my arms around her. "I hadn't even realized I'd done it. But I'll remember it for next time. And it's not silly. It's nice to be reminded that we can be normal as well."

Bella stood up and kissed me hard, but quick, on the lips. "True. Now are you ready for potions?"

"Yup. Let's go."

Bella and I made our way out through the portrait and headed down the Grand Staircase. We'd been back at school for about four days. Christmas and New Year's had been another spectacular event. The only difference from our previous Christmases in the wizarding world was that Rose and Emmett hosted the event. Including all of the Weasley's relatives.

We had erected the usual large tent in the backyard to host everyone. Only, instead of Molly doing all the cooking, Esme, Rose, and Alice had started a couple of days before hand, and when we arrived home Christmas morning, Kreacher jumped in to help. What they hadn't been expecting was the second set of elfin hands.

We'd kept our promise to Winky and had brought her home from Hogwarts. She was ever so excited about belonging to a wizarding family once again that her nerves weren't even bothering her, and she was able to help with preparing dinner with everyone else. She didn't flinch once. I was hoping, given time, she'd be able to tell us what had happened with Mr. Crouch.

"What's got you thinking so hard over there?" Bella asked as we stepped off the last moving staircase.

"Christmas." I laughed.

Bella smiled. "It was nice having it somewhere else this year. It's a shame the wizards weren't more impressed with Emmett's display. I thought it was beautiful."

I chuckled. "They did love the blow up decorations though."

Emmett had wanted to host Christmas this year because he had wanted to show his prowess in using muggle technology and electricity to decorate for the festive season, and he had done a brilliant job. There were fairy lights, icicles, and all manner of decorations. He'd managed to get them to "dance" along to the popular Christmas tune, Jingle Bells. The only problem was the wizards weren't that impressed by him using electricity, seeing that they could do all of it with a wave of their wands.

They did love how bright the lights were, though, and the blow-up decorations. Emmett had a whole blow-up sleigh set up with Santa and his reindeer, including Rudolf. I couldn't get a clear answer in any of their minds as to why they were impressive. It was random, if nothing else.

But it was Molly who was wonderful to witness. She never thought to get a house elf for herself and her family, preferring to provide for her family all by herself. One look at Winky, though, and Molly fell in love. Winky hadn't been much better. They bonded straight away. It was a beautiful thing to witness, and I knew Winky would become a beloved member of the Weasley family, much like Kreacher was of ours.

Bella's laugh drew me back into the present. "Are you going to be part of the land of the living today?"

I realized we had almost made it to the dungeons where Potions was held.

I chuckled. "Maybe. It was a good Christmas break."

"I know." Bella nodded. "But we have so much to get through this year. We still have to figure out that damn egg."

I pulled Bella into my arms and hugged her tight. "We will. The task isn't until next month."

"That isn't that far away."

"I know, Bella. What brought this on?" I pulled her to a stop and spun her to look at me.

She sighed, staring at my feet for a minute before looking up at me. "I'm worried, Edward. There seems to be so much more going on than we know, and with Alice's vision hanging over us, I fear that the war we're always talking about is just around the corner."

"I get that. You don't think I feel the same way?"

"I know you do. But you seem so … so unaffected by the whole thing!" Bella exclaimed flinging her hands in the air. "I love you. I love every single one of our friends and family, and it terrifies me that we might lose some of them."

I was about to answer her when we were interrupted by a voice, one that was usually snide and condescending, but this time was softer. It still had that harsh tone but was not quite as nasty.

"It's time for class." Snape spun around and walked back into the classroom without another word.

Bella frowned in his direction. _That was weird._

I followed his retreating figure, pulling Bella into the classroom. "It was. And we will finish this conversation later."

_I know. I want to._

"Today we'll be working on advanced healing potions. Find the recipe in your books and get started. No talking!" Snape, while subdued, was still his usual self. Once he was finished talking, he stalked over to his desk and proceeded to write in a journal.

Oh, how I wished his mind were open to me. I would have loved to have known what he was thinking.

The class was quiet, all just concentrating on making their potions, and once Snape had finished writing in his journal, he stood and walked around to observe the class.

He stalked between the cauldrons, becoming more and more annoyed. I couldn't read his mind as to why, and it was really frustrating me. What had me intrigued, though, was that he seemed to be hovering around one table in particular. This table was full of Slytherins.

"I cannot believe you are Slytherins. This potion is nowhere near where it should be. The Gryffindors are making better potions than you are."

The class had stopped what they were doing and were looking in his direction. Sure, they'd seen Snape pissed off, but this was on a completely different level, even from when he was dealing with me.

"How difficult is it to follow the book?" he bellowed at them, throwing his hands into the air and causing his sleeves to fall down. It was when he spun around to stalk off, as he spoke again, that his left arm truly caught my attention. "I'm starting to think that none of you can read!"

Bella gasped quietly enough that she didn't draw attention to herself. She had caught what I had. There on his arm, for those who knew enough to pay attention, was a tattoo of the symbol we had seen at the World Cup, The Dark Mark. Voldemort's Mark.

At the moment, it was just an outline, but you could see that it had started to fill in. The middle of the tattoo was darker but seemed to fade as it worked its way to the outline. I'm sure, eventually, it would be completely shaded in and resembling the mark that had been left in the sky at the Cup.

Bella looked up at me, worry all over her beautiful face. _That can't be a good sign._

I shook my head. "No. No, it can't."

~*~UHS~*~

"Ugh, this lesson has become torture," Bella whined in my ear as we watched fake Moody drone on and on from in front the rest of the class. "It was so much better when Professor Lupin taught it last year. It's a damn shame he couldn't stay."

I nodded in agreement. "He has a good job now, but who's to say he can't come back later."

_That's true. He's no longer a werewolf, after all. He just has to wait to come out._

Our last class for the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Bella and I were particularly quiet throughout this lesson, as a general rule, because we didn't know who this Moody was. We didn't want to draw any more attention to ourselves than we already did. Even though fake Moody took every opportunity to avoid us as he could.

The one good thing about the lesson was that the real Moody had reached out to me. He knew we had been struggling with the egg, and as he was not our teacher, per se, he had no qualms about helping us. He also had no qualms about chatting to me all through the lesson.

He was bored, and lonely, not that I could blame him.

_Edward?_ He knew I could hear him, and his trunk was sensitive enough that he could feel movement in our classroom. I could tap twice for yes, and three times for no, in quick succession. So when he called for me, I tapped twice.

_I am so sick of that _hack_ butchering all my lessons. These lessons have nothing to do with defending against the arts. He's all about teaching the dark arts. It's ridiculous. Is no one auditing this class?_

I couldn't help but chuckle. Bella smiled, knowing I was listening to Moody. I had told her all about his rambling during our lessons.

_I wish I'd seen his punk ass. We would know how big a threat he is, if I had. Smart man knew the only way to get the jump on me was to hit me from behind. He set off my dustbin alarm on purpose, just so he could knock me out._

Moody stopped rambling for a moment and was able to have a short conversation with Kreacher, as he'd popped in to bring him an afternoon snack.

_When are you going back to see Moody?_ Bella thought, bringing my attention back to the room where fake Moody was still rambling on about some spell I wasn't paying any attention to.

"If I can, it'll be over dinner. If not, then I'll try later on when everyone goes to bed."

_But that would present its own problems._

"I know." I kissed Bella's head. "Let's hope fake Moody comes to dinner."

Bella went back to reading through this year's Defense book while I continued to stealthily read through my Arithmancy book. It was a lot harder, but so much more enjoyable than last year. I was getting much more out of learning than ever before. I'd only gotten through a few pages when Moody started lamenting from his "prison" again.

_Don't make my mistakes, _he thought miserably. _Use this as one of the only lessons I can teach you this year. Don't become complacent, always be vigilant. If you don't, you might end up like me, locked in your own bloody trunk while some _criminal_ parades around dressed up just like you._

For the rest of the lesson, I listened to real Moody ramble on from his trunk, the fake Moody growl at the class from the front of the room, and to the wonderful thoughts of Bella sitting next to me.

After Defense, we made our way into the library where Viktor, Fleur, and Gabrielle were already waiting for us. Fleur and Gabrielle had joined us in our study sessions after Bella and Fleur had spoken. The three of them had wanted to get to know each other, and it was a good place to do so, if they didn't get too loud.

Viktor had joined us after the Yule Ball, so it had only been since we came back from Christmas break. The first time Harry had come to the library to study, he'd just about fallen over from shock. Or maybe it was the strength of his jealousy that had almost brought him to his knees. You see, when Harry clapped eyes on our table after stepping through the doors of the library, Hermione and Viktor were sitting next to each other. But it wasn't that which made his jealousy flare, it was the fact that they were leaning into each other, talking, and Viktor was making Hermione giggle.

Yes, the four champions had become good friends, but that didn't mean that one of us couldn't feel jealousy when toes were stepped on. Granted, Harry hadn't actually made a move to secure Hermione's hand, so Krum didn't know he was stepping on toes.

But as such, Harry sat as far away from Viktor as possible and tried to maintain a friendly disposition. He didn't always succeed, but I'm not sure Viktor picked up any mild hostility anyway. He was a nice guy, a fantastic athlete, an average student, but he didn't seem to pick up on a lot of social cues. So it seemed Harry was able to squeak his jealousy by. Although, if it became more obvious, I'm not even sure Krum would be able to ignore it.

"Hello, all," Bella whispered as she sat down.

"Hi, Bella," Gabrielle whispered back while Fleur and Viktor nodded in our direction. Gabrielle sighed. "I so wish I was going to school this year."

Bella smiled as she pulled out her books. "You have a distinct advantage, though, this year. You're doing a lot of reading while in this library. I don't think you'll have a problem when you do start. I would have loved a library like this one when I was growing up."

"Me too." I snorted.

"You didn't have access to a library growing up?" Gabrielle asked innocently as our friends and family started sitting down at the large table around us.

I loved the fact that Gabrielle was curious about me too. "Oh, I had access to a library but not one like this. You see …" I leaned forward and dropped down to a really low whisper. "I grew up in the muggle world. I didn't come into the wizarding one until Bella stood on my doorstep a little over three and a half years ago."

"No!" Gabrielle gasped, making Bella laugh while our friends smiled. Viktor and Fleur were just as riveted as Gabrielle by my answer. "Really?"

"Really, really. Why so shocked?"

Gabrielle flushed a little, reminding me so much of a younger Bella. "I didn't know you grew up in the muggle world. I thought we'd gotten to know you so well."

I laughed. "You have. You know this me, the wizarding world one." I sat back, arms open wide. "I'm an open book. Ask your questions."

With that invitation, it wasn't just Gabrielle who asked questions. Viktor and Fleur had some as well. It was a lot like being interrogated but so much more fun. Especially Gabrielle's reactions. She was so fascinated with everything, only because she hadn't seen much of the muggle world.

I was so glad that, as a champion, I wasn't going to have any exams because I had a feeling Gabrielle was going to keep me occupied for quite a few more library sessions. Much to everyone's amusement.

~*~UHS~*~

That night at dinner, Bella and I were waiting on pins and needles to see if fake Moody would come and eat.

"What is going on with you?" Hermione whispered to Bella because she was fidgeting.

I snickered, earning a glare from Bella.

"_Edward_"—Bella sneered playfully—"needs to go see Moody tonight, so we're waiting to see if the imposter turns up."

Hermione laughed. "Okay, but you can usually hide what's going on. Why are you fidgeting?"

Bella threw her hands in the air, letting them smack back down on the table. "I don't know. I'm anxious, I'm excited, and I'm hormonal."

I laughed; I couldn't help it.

"Shut up, you!" Bella pointed at me. "I want to work on my vest. I want to solve the egg. I just … I have no idea."

I reached over and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side. "We've just got so much going on that you're stressing, but your stress comes out in fidgets." I chuckled. "I know you usually come and visit Moody with me, but why don't you go and focus that energy on your vest."

"Are you sure?" Bella tilted her head up to look at me.

I chuckled, again. "Yes, go. Maybe take Hermione and Ginny with you to keep you focused."

"Okay!" Bella bounced out of her seat, kissed my cheek, and pulled Hermione with her. Ginny followed, laughing at her expense.

Harry and Neville shook their heads, smiles on their faces. "She's all over the place this afternoon," Harry mumbled.

"Yeah." I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "She's … worried. And rightly so. There's so much going on this year, and having 'spies' in the castle isn't helping her."

"Nor me. And I in no way trust Headmaster Karkaroff," Neville said, looking at the head table. His voice lowered to a whisper. "The fact that he was a death eater doesn't leave a happy, warm feeling behind."

Harry was looking at Karkaroff too. "I think he was a cowardly one. The fact he's free tells me that he turned on them to save his own skin."

"And Snape?" Neville asked.

I snorted. "He was supposedly a spy for us, but I'm not so sure."

"Double agent?" Harry and Neville asked, looking back at me.

"Double agent." I nodded, watching as—at long last—fake Moody hobbled into the Great Hall. "Time to get to work."

"Edward?" Harry called out as I stood. "Want some company? We could stay in the room across the hall, be a look out?"

"Sure. I'd like that."

The three of us walked out of the Great Hall. We were quiet as we all made our way to Moody's classroom. Once we reached it, Neville and Harry crept into the classroom across the hall while I used the Alohomora charm to open Moody's door and into Moody's rooms at the back of the classroom.

"Hey, Alistair," I called after opening the lid of the trunk he was still stashed in.

"Edward, how are you?" he asked as I landed in front of him.

"I'm good." I looked Moody over, using my medical training to make sure he was okay. "Looks like Kreacher is keeping you in good health."

"That house elf is wonderful. Wasn't he the grumpy one who served the Blacks?"

I sat down on the floor of the trunk with him. "Yeah, he was. But one look at Bella and they connected. Sirius let him go to make sure they were both happy."

"Good man, that Sirius." Moody paused to look at me. "I know you were coming down here to listen to my hints about that egg in your common room, but you look like you've got something on your mind."

"You remember when I told you about what happened at the World Cup?"

"The death eaters and the dark mark in the sky?"

I nodded. "It's this, right?" I asked, handing over a drawing I had done earlier. It had both the one from the World Cup and the tattoo of it on Snape's arm.

Moody nodded after looking it over. "Why do you ask?"

"See this image? This was on someone's arm. It was only partly shaded, just like I've drawn. Why would this be the case?"

"It was how Voldemort called his supporters. It was like a homing beacon that called them to him." Moody shook his head. "I don't know if they could resist it or not. I don't know that they even tried. But as far as I knew, when he disappeared, so did those tattoos."

"Did they all have the exact same one? Exactly like the dark mark?"

"No. Different people within Voldemort's circle had different parts of the tattoo. Those on the outer circle only had the skull. Those in the middle circle, they had the snake. And those who were part of his inner circle of followers, helpers, and believers had the full tattoo." Moody stared at me meaningfully. "Now who? Who did you see with this tattoo?"

"Severus Snape."

"Huh." Moody huffed. "Dumbledore sure kept that quiet." At my confused face, he continued. "I knew Snape had been one of Voldemort's followers. Dumbledore told us all that had happened to bring him back to our side, not that I was confident in that either, but he didn't tell all of it, it seemed. I didn't know that he'd been in that deep with the snake man himself."

"Should it look like this?" I pointed back to the picture I'd drawn.

Again, Moody shook his head. "It was completely black the last time I saw one. It seems to be filling in."

"Yeah, that's what has me worried."

"Like the stronger Voldemort gets, the closer he gets to coming back, the darker it will get?" I nodded to Moody's question. "I have a feeling you might be right."

Both of us were quiet for a few minutes. The weight of that conversation hanging between us.

"So what about this egg?" I asked to break the tension and because I knew we couldn't talk forever.

"It screeches, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you need to do this …"

~*~UHS~*~

I couldn't believe how long I had been searching this castle, all while avoiding the professors on night duty. One would think that with the amount of ghosts at Hogwarts finding a ghost would be easy, but you would be wrong.

I wonder if Dumbledore had spoken to them about what was happening because we hadn't seen them half as much as we usually did.

Peeves was the ghost I was hunting for. I had a proposition for him, something I thought he might enjoy, but only if I could find him. Bella and the others were all asleep in their dorms, which meant I was left to find the misbehaving ghost. Although, in all honesty, he had been behaving himself this year.

I had to wonder where the ghosts had disappeared to. Was there a spectral Hogwarts that I should be on the lookout for? Where would one find such a thing? And who would be admitted? All ghosts and ghouls, or would some not be allowed because of the type of ghost they are?

It was those thoughts that started me on a whole different track. I knew that even in the ghostly world some suffered bullying—like poor Nick and the Headless Hunt—but did they suffer from discrimination if they weren't the right kind of ghost?

I was grateful for the fact that I could think about several things at once, it afforded me the opportunity to continue looking for, and finally finding, a clue about the ghosts in the castle at the same time.

The fact that all of Hogwarts' ghosts were hiding out in the dungeons really should have come as no surprise, considering that was where Nick had held his Death Day party during our first year.

I sprinted down the staircases, skillfully whirling past Professor Trelawny before she could focus on me through her jam jar-bottom glasses and into the corridor that led not only to Snape's dungeon—and the Slytherin Common Room—but also the dungeon where the ghosts had been hanging out. I wasn't surprised that nobody had found them because their room had been hidden behind a tapestry of an incredibly ugly banshee screaming for all she was worth. I ducked behind it into the alcove and knocked on the door before opening it.

What I found was amazing. Their room was completely decked out with all the comforts of any given to the students in their Common Rooms, and they were using them, even though I wasn't sure they had a need to.

"Edward! My friend!" Nick greeted when he saw me come through the door. "Congratulations on being a Triwizard Champion!"

"Nick." I nodded in his direction. "Thank you. I'm surprised you guys aren't out there cheering us on. In fact, I haven't seen any of you."

Nick floated over and stood at my side. "We watch from the safety of the castle when everyone is out. And we hear a lot. The portraits talk." Nick waved his hand around, showing the portraits hanging in their room. "When events like this take place, we like to make ourselves scarce. Not only for the comfort of the visiting schools but for ourselves. Some schools don't have their own ghosts, and when those children visit, they want us to perform like seals."

"I could see that. I know I had a load of questions when I first saw you guys but watching answered most of those."

Nick nodded. "Exactly. Now what can I help you with?"

I smirked causing Nick to look at me with some trepidation. "I need to talk to Peeves. I have a task that I need his help with."

"Peeves? Are you certain?"

"Yes." I chuckled. "Peeves."

Nick opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by another voice that rang out from the back of the room.

"What could the big bad vampire need with little old me?" Peeves flew up over the heads of all the other ghosts in the room. He came to a stop directly in front of me.

"I do need your help. All the champions want to get together to get to know each other where nobody can see, hear, or judge us for doing so. But to do that, we need a distraction. And one big enough that it will pull the attention of enough people so we champions can slip away."

Peeves was clapping his hands and squealing with glee before I had even finished my explanation. I couldn't help but laugh at him. "You've been missing making mischief, haven't you?"

"Yeeeesssssss. When? When? When? When?"

"Tomorrow night, at the end of dinner, please?"

Peeves nodded and flew off. No doubt to plan his big distraction.

"Are you sure this is wise, Edward?" Nick looked worriedly between me and where Peeves flew off. "Peeves may go overboard."

I shrugged. "That's okay. We don't want Madame Maxime and Igor Karkaroff catching on that their champions are sneaking away." I lowered my voice. "Besides, this is a plan to keep Peeves on our side. If things go the way Bella and I expect, then we may need him."

Nick was nodding. "Then I shall do whatever I can to help." Nick smirked at me. "I bet Peeves and I can have a lot of fun."

I laughed, waving goodbye. "Me too, Nick. Me too."

~*~UHS~*~

After leaving the dungeons, I made my way out of the castle and headed in the direction of the owlery on the grounds. I needed to get word to Fleur and Viktor about what was going to happen at dinner the next night. I had written letters to them both before I headed off to find Peeves. I hadn't known what Peeves's reaction was going to be, but I had hoped.

Athan and Saffy flew down to meet me when I walked through the door.

"I'm sorry, guys," I said, reaching out to tickle them under the chin. "I need to use the school owls this time; you two are too noticeable."

Athan's nose was immediately in the air. _But we are far superior. At least, we're real._

I frowned as I pulled a treat from my pocked. "What do you mean? _You're real_?"

_Ever wondered about these owls? How they're different?_ Saffy asked, hooting excitedly while jumping from foot to foot.

"Sure, I have. I can't hear most of the owl's thoughts out here."

_They are made with a spell,_ both owls said together. Saffy got distracted by the treat I was giving her, so Athan continued. _Dumbledore calls them Morphs. Because the spell morphs them into owls from an ordinary object. Originally, they could have been anything. An old shoe, a quill, or a piece of parchment._

"Huh. That's really clever and explains why they have no thoughts. Most of the animals used in transfiguration are like that as well. That's a spell that could be really useful in our arsenal." I reached out and ran my hand down Athan's back. "Thank you. Here."

I handed them something more substantial for breakfast before walking to where some of Hogwarts owls were now sitting. I cycled through the frequencies my brain was able to pick up, more out of habit than anything else, and shook my head when I didn't get anything, once again.

"This one needs to go to Fleur Delacour in the Beauxbatons' carriage"—I handed the letter to the owl on the right. I held out the other to the one on the left—"and this one needs to go to Viktor Krum in the Durmstrang's ship. Both of you need to be discreet. Nobody but the two you are going to must know about these letters."

Both owls hooted, then flew out through the window of the tower.

_Good luck,_ Athan and Saffy thought, a little grumpily, before they flew off to their perches.

Now, all I had to do was wait until dinnertime.

~*~UHS~*~

I'd been on tenterhooks all day, waiting for what Peeves would do to attract everyone's attention. I was jittery enough that Bella noticed, but she didn't question me on it. She knew that if I had wanted her to know, I would have told her. Besides, she'd know soon enough.

I kept an eye, and an ear, on all the students coming into the Great Hall until Fleur and Viktor arrived. They both gave me a subtle nod and a quick thought, letting me know they had received their letters and nobody else had seen them.

Once I had received that confirmation, I settled down to wait on Peeves, and of course, Sir Nick.

Bella kept side-eyeing me through dinner until she couldn't take it anymore. _What are you up to?_

I shrugged with a smirk on my face.

_You aren't going to tell me? I've been patient all day!_ I shook my head, now smiling. _Oh, that's not fair. At least, tell me this. Is it happening soon?_

I nodded, just to appease her. Bella had been surprisingly patient. Maybe with age came patience? The squeal she let loose inside her mind made me cringe because it was so high pitched.

_Sorry, Edward. I can't wait to see what happens._

"Me either." I kissed her lips softly as she looked up at me.

Bella and I chatted with the part of the misfits sitting at our table while we finished dinner. I looked toward the teachers' table to see who had come down for dinner and was glad to see that _all_ of the teachers were there, including Filch. I hoped whatever Peeves and Nick were going to be doing was huge. It was going to have to be to draw everyone out.

I watched as Professor Dumbledore stood to announce the end of dinner when there was a smash and a crash, as well as a loud commotion from out in the Entrance Hall.

"What the hell was that?" Fred and George yelled together. Everyone's head had turned to the doors of the Great Hall as the noise had caught everyone's attention.

"PEEVES! What are you doing? Filch will have your head!" Sir Nick shouted from, what I could tell, was the direction of the Grand Staircase. Everyone in the hall could hear Peeves's response. He cackled and smashed, or threw, something else that made a clatter and clang.

Bella reached over and grabbed my hand. _Is this it? _she thought. _What do you need me to do?_

I leaned down to Bella's ear. "When the time comes, grab Harry and run to the Room of Requirement."

_Got it._ Bella nodded.

After the shock had worn off, the teachers started to make their way between the long tables toward the Entrance Hall. As they passed by, they tried to get the students to stay in their seats. But due to the increasing commotion—yelling by Nick, smashing by Peeves—every single student was following the teachers out the door, talking excitedly. And if I were right, up the Grand Staircase.

With the next crash and a yell of, "Peeves, I'll get the Bloody Baron!" everyone sprinted out of the Great Hall. Because I had a hold of Bella's hand, I was able to keep her toward the back of the students. As Harry ran past, she grabbed hold of his hand.

"What are you doing, Bella? I want to see what's going on!" Harry demanded while bouncing on his toes, trying to see what was happening ahead.

"It's a diversion," Bella whispered back. "But we'll see, don't worry."

As every single person, student and teacher alike, followed a trail of destruction—and shouting that seemed to start in the Entrance Hall—Viktor, Fleur, and Gabrielle fell into step with us.

"Zis is what you wrote to uz about, Edward?" Fleur whispered as she was careful not to draw the attention of Madame Maxime, who I could see was looking for her students.

"It was. Although, I didn't know it was going to be this elaborate." I chuckled quietly as we made our way up the moving staircases because I could see that picture frames were askew, suits of armor were in pieces on the floor, and tapestries were hanging by their corners, revealing the doors behind them.

"Edward," Viktor whispered from behind me. "Where are we going?"

I looked over my shoulder at him. "We'll be there soon. Let's just go with this charade for a bit longer."

Viktor nodded and followed along. While he was curious about what was going on, he admired the castle as we followed the destruction. From what I could tell from his thoughts, Durmstrang Castle wasn't as nice as Hogwarts. It was draftier and not as well kept as our school. Fleur was doing the same thing. She admired the castle for its history. She loved how long our school had been around and the fact that it taught magic, not just using her siren powers and feminine whiles.

"PEEVES!" we heard Filch yell out, catching our attention. His voice echoed out of the corridor across from the one we needed and onto the moving staircase we were slowly climbing.

The resulting crush from the students in front of us was expected. They all wanted to see what Peeves had done to piss off Filch so badly. Fred and George were the first to reach Filch's office. I didn't look through them because I wanted to see for myself, but the immortals around us heard the pair burst into laughter at everything that was happening.

Thankfully for us, Filch's office was right at the beginning of the corridor, and the second we stepped onto the landing, we could see right in his door.

"Merlin's beard," Bella, Fleur, and Gabrielle whispered together.

Viktor and I burst out laughing while Harry asked, "How did he do that?"

All of Filch's furniture was stuck to the ceiling. It was an exact replica of his office, only attached to the ceiling. Some of the students were laughing at Filch's office while others were completely grossed out by the scene in front of the office.

Peeves was inside Filch's office while Sir Nick was floating in front of Filch's door, but that wasn't what was keeping people's morbid attention. Peeves was flying around, throwing paper—or anything loose he could get his hands on—while Nick was floating near the doorway shaking his head. The problem was every time he shook his head in a certain direction, or a certain way, this head would fall off to the side, only staying attached by the one inch of skin that hadn't been detached in his beheading. For those who hadn't seen, or met, Sir Nick before, it was a sight worthy of every single "gross" being squealed out when it happened.

Bella, Fleur, and I all chuckled when we heard Fred and George starting to collect bets for how many more times Nick would let it happen before he—or the teachers—put a stop to it.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked because he and Viktor couldn't hear them, nor did Gabrielle understand because she couldn't see.

I chuckled once more. "Nothing. Just Fred and George being, well, Fred and George. Bella? Are you ready?"

Bella laughed. "I am. But I'm not sure they will be. Harry … please don't scream or draw attention to us."

"Wha …" Harry's question trailed off as Bella picked him up and flung him over her shoulder as she took off toward the seventh floor corridor that we needed. She did it so fast that poor Viktor had no warning when I reached out for him. All I received was a grunt when he hit my shoulder before I took off after Bella. Fleur was right behind me, carrying Gabrielle.

As we left, I kept an ear and eye on everyone on the landing. Not one person noticed when we slipped away from the back of the pack, not even Hermione and Neville. Hermione and Neville would figure it out when they found us missing and would keep quiet about it. Hopefully, it would take a lot longer for the rest of the student body, and the teachers, to figure out we were gone.

I had planned ahead earlier. I knew we would need to make a quick getaway, unmonitored, so I'd asked Kreacher to meet me at the tapestry of the dancing trolls. I had opened the Room of Requirement, and Kreacher had gone inside to wait for the distraction going on down the corridor. When he heard that, he was to open the door and keep it open until we were inside. So, as such, when we reached the door, Kreacher was standing there with it wide open.

"Come. Come, Miss Bella …" Kreacher waved her through, stepping back as she bolted through the door with me and Fleur right behind her.

"Thank you, Kreacher," I said once I placed Viktor down and steadied him. It seemed that while moving fast on a broom was not an issue, being upside down over a vampire's shoulder was a little different.

"You're welcome, Master Edward. Shall I bring up some food and drink?"

Bella leaned over and hugged Kreacher. "We'll call when we need some; thank you, Kreacher. In the meantime, can you listen out for anybody looking for any of us? Especially Fleur, Gabrielle, and Viktor?"

"Yes, Miss Bella. If Kreacher hears anything concerning, he shall come to you straight away. Otherwise, I will wait for your call." Kreacher was gone before Bella could again say thank you.

"Your letter was very vague, Edward. Why are we here?" Viktor asked as he slumped into a seat that the room had provided earlier. Harry plonked himself next to Viktor without a word. He trusted me to answer everything.

"I don't know about you," Fleur started, "but I came to talk more to Bella, az well az votever Edward haz to tell uz."

Bella sat next to Fleur, with Gabrielle on her other side. "Thank you both for coming. I know you both took risks to avoid your headmasters so they didn't know we are working together." I shrugged. "Although, I do believe that should be part of the competition, instead of working alone. Anyway"—I waved my hand around—"I've come across some information that should prove to be very useful. The source is trustworthy."

Viktor leaned forward, he placed his elbows on his knees, and let his hands fall between his knees. "About what?"

I sat down in the only open seat left, between Harry and Gabrielle, around the round table the room had provided. I reached into my jacket to bring out my egg, which I had shrunk early this morning.

"Did you bring these like I asked?"

"I haven't got mine," Harry spoke up, raising his hand.

I laughed, pulling Harry's egg from a different pocket. "Don't you worry, Harry. I've got it."

I handed Harry his egg as Fleur and Viktor brought theirs out, and we all enlarged them together.

"What were you told about the eggs?" Viktor asked, resting his in his lap.

"Thanks to Bella and Fleur, we knew the screeching emitted from the egg is a form of Siren Speak. Unfortunately, neither girl was taught how to understand that type of speak, so we were at a stalemate." There were nods all around the table. "My source has told me that the only other way to understand this type of talk is to submerge the eggs."

Fleur groaned. "Of course. Sirens are usually mermaids, and where do mermaids live?"

"Under the sea." Bella rolled her eyes. "Why didn't we think of that ourselves?"

Harry snorted. "Because we're too focused on what else is going on?"

"Zat is true. We have been focused on ze grander azpects of ze tournament. Maybe, instead, we need to break each task down. Each part of it."

"You mean focus on the here and now?" Viktor asked. "I have been taught to look forward. Next point, next game, next team. I don't know how to do that."

Harry turned to face Viktor. "And that's okay. It's why we're all here, after all. To help each other out. We can teach you to look at the here and now."

Viktor nodded. "Thank you. So what do we do?"

I smirked and closed my eyes. After I heard several gasps, I opened my eyes. On the round table in front of us was a large tank of water. It was only deep enough that we could submerge the eggs we had taken from the dragons. In the water were four nests that the eggs could be nestled on where they wouldn't fall over.

I picked my egg up from my lap, carefully submerged it in the tank, and settled it on the nest in front of me. I looked up at everyone as I rested my hand on the latch at the top. I could see they were all nervous about what would happen when I opened the egg. I took a deep breath, turned the latch, and then pulled my hand from the water letting the egg fall open.

It seemed I wasn't the only one holding my breath because six of them rushed out in relief when no screeching was emitted from the egg. For a while, we all sat mesmerized, looking at the inside of the egg, as none of us had seen it before. It glowed, and there were bubbles floating around inside. Even without knowing what the screeching meant, the egg was simply beautiful in its construction.

Once we snapped out of it Harry, Fleur, and Viktor lowered their eggs into the water, and opened them with slightly less trepidation.

"I'm going to need a towel if I'm going to be putting my head in the water," Viktor mumbled after studying his egg for a bit longer.

As if in response to his words, six hoses with cups appeared around the tank. They were on little stands so they sat higher than the level of water, but a small amount was in the bottom part of the hose that was below. It took one quick look to figure out what we were going to have to do when a cushion appeared on the floor with a towel next to it.

"What's this all about?" Harry asked, running his finger around the edge of the cup.

Bella snorted. "At least, we won't have to dunk our whole head in the water." She reached out and picked up the cup, prompting the rest of us to do the same, and placed it against her ear.

I did the same, feeling as it suctioned to the side of my head, creating a seal. Almost as if we were one, we all slid from our chairs and onto the cushions the Room of Requirement had placed at our feet. Once our heads and the cups were below the water level, the tubes filled with water and, subsequently, our ears.

That was when we finally heard what the eggs had been trying to say.

_*Come seek us where our voices sound._

_We cannot sing above the ground._

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss._

_An hour long you'll have to look._

_And to recover what we took._

_But past an hour – the prospect's black._

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

"Well, zat's cheery," Fleur grumbled as she wiped her ear with the towel after she had sat back in her chair. "But what does it mean?"

"Whoever it is, is going to take something from us"—I pointed around at the four of us in the tournament—"Something that we will miss. But where are they going to take it?"

We were all quiet for a few moments. There were several things that could do what the voices were singing about. How many mythical creatures were there in the magical world?

Harry was the person to interrupt our pondering. "The water is a clue. We could only hear the words when we put the egg in water. What do you think lives in the black lake?" he asked excitedly, pointing in the direction of where the Durmstrang boat was docked.

"Grindylows for sure," Viktor replied. "I have seen them near the surface. And something with long tentacles."

"There have to be mermaids." Bella frowned, crossing her arms.

"What makes you say that, baby girl?"

Bella was going to answer but Gabrielle jumped in before she could, smiling apologetically. "Because mermaids are closely related to the Siren. They would talk in a form of Siren Speak, live under the water, and cannot talk above it. Hence, needing all of this." Gabrielle waved her hand at the tank.

I stood up to pace. One hand in my hair, the other in my pocket. "This is good. So we have mermaids in the lake, taking something that we'll miss. Between the mermaids, and the hour we have to look, we can assume we'll be looking in the black lake itself."

I turned to face everyone. They were all watching me. "I just have two questions. What are they going to take? And how are we … well, you three … going to hold your breaths for an hour?"

~*~UHS~*~

"They're going to what?" Hermione gasped. She sat back in her seat in shock.

We were all in the library—Viktor, Fleur, and Gabrielle included—after lessons the following day. We had just filled Neville, Hermione, and Ginny in about what the egg's clue was.

"What are they going to take?" Hermione quickly followed up.

Most around the table shrugged, but Bella answered her. "We have no idea. That part we can't figure out because there are no clues for it. For now, we have to brainstorm ways to help Harry, Viktor, and Fleur to breathe underwater."

"Edward will have to pretend too," Ginny said, catching everyone's attention. She shrunk into her chair slightly at the attention but sat up when she realised we weren't going to laugh at her. Her first year had really done a number on her. "I mean … we don't want Edward losing points again because he didn't use magic. So he's going to have to use something, some spell, to show that he's complying with the rules."

Neville pulled a book from his bag as I leaned forward, resting on the table. "You're right, Ginny. Thank you. I should confirm to the process, or at least make it look like I am."

Neville continued to flick through his big book as the rest of us talked about and researched the kind of spells we could use. There were many different ways we could go about holding our breath under water for an hour, but we weren't sure which ones would be best, or which ones worked in salt or fresh water.

"I honestly don't zink it matters," Fleur said after pouring over the book in front of her. "If it did, wouldn't zere be a mention of it?"

Bella nodded. "I agree. I think the only time it would matter was if we were dealing with a plant option."

"Like using Gillyweed." Neville dropped his book in the middle of the table with a loud thump, causing Ma'am Pince to shush us. "_Gillyweed__ is a __magical__ plant native to the __Mediterranean Sea__. When it is eaten by a __witch__ or __wizard__, one grows gills and webbing between the fingers and toes, allowing them to process __oxygen__ from __water__ and navigate underwater more easily. There is some debate among __herbologists__ as to the duration of the effects of Gillyweed in fresh water versus salt water, but the effects of Gillyweed in fresh water seem to last about an hour._ Would this work?"

I pulled the book toward me, reading over everything that was written there. "Yeah … yeah, this would work. Where did you get this book, Neville?"

"Remember that first lesson with Moody. The one where …" Neville trailed off as he remembered the spider bug being tortured in front of him by the Cruciatus Curse. "After, when we had tea, he gave me this book. He said Professor Sprout had told him I had an aptitude for Herbology and that this book might help me."

_That was a set up. He knew we'd need it, _Bella thought, looking to me. I nodded, letting her know that I agreed with her assessment. "Where can we get it from? It's native to the Mediterranean."

I tapped the book, causing everyone to lean in to see what I was pointing at. "It's also an ingredient in many potions. Looks like a trip to Professor Snape's storeroom is in order."

"We have a plan then? We all know what spell or plant we are going to use?" Viktor asked.

We all replied together. "We have a plan."

~*~UHS~*~

* * *

**Almost time for the second task and it seems that our champions are as prepared as they are can get. But first let me hear your thoughts on this chapter.**

**See you in a fortnight!**


	16. Chapter Fifteen - The Lead Up

**Hello everyone! Welcome to another update of Under Her Spell. I'm still finding my time to keep writing, but I'm slowly finding a rhythm. Which means that I've been able to get ate least one more chapter of the next story written. Phew.**

**Big thanks go out to Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson. You're my girls, I'd be lost without you.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to SM and JK Rowling respectively. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**See you at the bottom.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen ~ The Lead Up**

We were all more relaxed as we made our way to Care of Magical Creatures the following day. The only part of the competition weighing on us was what the merpeople were going to take from us that we would sorely miss. I honestly couldn't think of one _thing_ that I would miss.

I was pulled to a stop and out of my thoughts when Bella stopped suddenly. I turned to look at her, only to find her staring straight ahead with a frown on her face.

"Bella? What is it?" I noticed that the others were all looking in the same direction, all frowning. I looked in that direction as well, not seeing anything amiss. "Guys?"

"Who is that?" Bella pointed over to the paddock behind Hagrid's hut.

That was when I noticed that it wasn't Hagrid standing there waiting to teach us but someone else. The witch was elderly with cropped grey hair and a very prominent chin. She dressed much like Professor McGonagall, with her flowing robes in darker shades and pointed hat atop her shorter hair. Her thoughts were very precise, bordering on rude, and her posture screamed "substitute teacher". She thought she was more important than she actually was.

"Good morning. My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank." The teacher sniffed with her nose in the air. "I have been over the previous lesson plans and found your education to be lacking in certain areas. On top of that, the animals you have been introduced to have been … decidedly dangerous."

_Hmph._ Bella huffed as she crossed her arms. _Who is she to decide what we should and should not have been introduced to? _

Hermione tilted her head before looking at me out of the corner of her eye. _At least, Hagrid's animals were one of a kind. They weren't the normal …_

"So today, you are going to be learning about unicorns, and it just so happens that I have one here in this paddock for you to put your theoretical knowledge to the test."

… _And the regular._ Hermione finished her thought as the girls in the class squealed. I could see the boys' shoulders slump because if there was one thing that Hagrid did well, it was that the animals he brought to class entertained the boys. The grosser the better.

_I wonder where Hagrid is, _Harry thought, looking around. _Why do we have another teacher? _

Ginny was looking over at the unicorn that Professor Grubbly-Plank had brought in. She was not impressed by what she saw. Ginny was tilting her head from side to side, much like a puppy dog, judging the way the unicorn was standing and interacting with the girls surrounding it. _Cortesia is so much more relaxed. This one acts like …_ Ginny surveyed the other students then sighed … _like Draco's dad. It's acting like it's too important to be here._

"I think Cortesia and her family are an exception to the rule, Ginny," I said.

"What do you mean?"

I sighed this time. "Bella and I have had this conversation before, between us, but not with anyone else. In the vampire world, our family was one of a small group of vampires who were the exception to the rule. Most vampires are traditionals. They eat a traditional diet of human blood. Our family and a small group of friends were different …"

Ginny interrupted. "Because you had a diet of animal blood, gotcha. So you think that the greater majority of unicorns are like this one, and Cortesia's family are one of a few."

"Exactly."

"Do you in the back want to come and pet the unicorn?" Professor Grubbly-Plank called out to us, interrupting our conversation.

I was going to answer, but Bella beat me to it. "No, thank you. We've already met a unicorn."

The professor's mouth dropped open with Bella's retort. She wasn't impressed at all. The professor turned and went to walk back to the other girls who were fangirling over the adult unicorn. But what I noticed was that a foal had followed the fully grown unicorn into the paddock. When Bella spoke, the foal's head shot up, and instead of waiting for Bella to approach it, she made for the fence and, using her powers, jumped over and bolted over to Bella.

"Aww, aren't you a pretty thing," Bella cooed, patting the foal, who had cozied up to her.

"You shouldn't touch them," Professor Grubbly-Plank reprimanded Bella just as her hand ran down the foal's mane.

Bella shrugged, a small smile on her face. "Animals are just drawn to me." Her face dropped into a cold look. "Must be the Veela in me."

"Oh." Our little group held back snickers when the professor took a step back.

"Didn't Professor Dumbledore fill you in on the students in Gryffindor?" Hermione asked with a tilt to her head. "Like, yes, Bella is a Veela. But did you know that her mate is a vampire? Right, Edward?"

I smiled at the snobby witch, which made her take a few more steps backwards.

"Uh … yes. He … he, um … did. I just didn't expect you to be so … um …"

I snorted. "Normal?"

Professor Grubbly-Plank nodded and spun back around, ignoring us.

"For someone who deals in the creatures of our world, you'd think she'd be a little more …" Ginny started only for Neville to finish "… cool, refined, relaxed around some of the very best?"

"Yep," Harry said popping the "p".

We stood around watching everything that was happening. I'd been listening to the thoughts of our substitute teacher because I wanted to see if she knew anything about why Hagrid wasn't teaching us. But all I could pick up was something about a written article in the Daily Prophet, something I didn't read much of anymore.

I turned to the others. "Did any of you read the Daily Prophet this morning?"

I couldn't help but chuckle when every single person in our little group shook their heads. Looked like I wasn't the only one giving the Daily Prophet a wide berth.

"Why?" Bella asked.

"Apparently, something was in there that pertains to Hagrid. It might be why he's not here today."

"Damn," Bella sighed. "How are we going to get our hands on one now?"

_Don't look behind you, Edward. Just hold out your hand. _I responded to Draco's thoughts by placing my hand behind me and opening it. I closed my fist when he carefully placed something into it. _Maybe read the Prophet as well as the Truth from now on._

I pulled my hand back around and opened it up to find a folded up piece of the Prophet. I unfolded it, only to curse quietly when I read the opening headline and who it was written by.

"How the hell does she keep getting this type of information?" I growled.

"What?" Bella, Hermione, and Ginny tried to look around the edges of the paper.

"Let me read this to you … _**Half-giant Terrifies Hogwarts Students**_

"_When I interviewed Hogwarts Gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Rubeus Hagrid, about the two Hogwarts Triwizard Champions, Edward Masen and Harry Potter, it was revealed that this ferocious-looking man is actually a half-giant._

"_Upon further investigation, a source inside Hogwarts castle said that Rubeus Hagrid used his size and terrifying personality to scare and intimidate students. _

"_It is well known throughout our community that giants are brutal and completely vicious. Why is it, then, that Professor Dumbledore is allowed to have one on the teaching stuff? Teaching our young and vulnerable? Do the parents of the students know that one of the professors routinely scares the living daylights out of their precious children? I'd like to hear what you think."_

"We really need to figure out where and how she gets what she gets." Hermione frowned.

"I wonder why she wrote this article in the first place," Neville thought out loud. "I mean, she went there to interview Hagrid about you"—he pointed to Harry, then me—" and you. Maybe he didn't give her what she wanted?"

Harry nodded. "A possibility. Hagrid is a loyal friend; he wouldn't share anything that we wouldn't want him to share." Harry snorted. "At least, not intentionally."

"And there's no way he would have revealed that he's a half-giant to that … that …" Ginny couldn't even finish that thought because she was so mad.

But it was Bella who I looked to because she hadn't said a word, but her thoughts were spiraling so fast I couldn't keep up. "You're right, Ginny, he wouldn't. Which means she had to have been present when he was talking to Madame Maxime in the gardens the night of the ball. Did you pick up any thoughts from her, Edward?"

I shook my head because I hadn't picked up any particular thoughts from Rita Skeeter that night. Instead of just thinking about that night, though, I went over the nights—and thoughts—that were around the night before any of her scathing, revealing articles were printed. I circled through all my memories of them, the thoughts that were floating around the castle on any of the frequencies I could pick up, and any sounds that I had heard. I couldn't pinpoint anything in particular, well nothing but … "The only common denominator before an article of hers comes out is a strange buzzing on such an obscure frequency in my mind that I'm not sure what to think about it. It's nothing clear, just a buzzing sound."

"Only in your thoughts?" Bella asked, to which I nodded. "I wonder … Edward, can you try and pick up thoughts from the insects in the forest? See if there are any?"

"What are you thinking, Bella?"

"Just … please, humor me?"

"Okay, okay." I did as Bella asked and ranged out my mind reading gift to see what I could pick up in the forest. I could hear all manner of animals from the unicorns standing with us, to centaurs on the very edge of my mind reading capabilities, and I could even hear Aragog buried deep within his massive tree and his hundreds—if not thousands—of children making their webs. But the one thing I couldn't hear were the insects. They had no thought, nothing, not even the buz … "You think the buzzing I'm hearing is the thoughts of an Animagus."

Bella nodded. "I do. I think the reason that all you hear is buzzing is because their body"—here Bella gave a pointed look—"whoever it is, it's too small. They have thought, their brains are working, but it's too complex to broadcast actual thought."

Hermione looked around to make sure that Professor Grubbly-Plank and the students were sufficiently distracted before she whispered her question. "And you think that Rita Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus, able to turn into some kind of insect, to get the scoops she keeps on getting?"

"That's exactly what I think," Bella answered.

"Ooooo, that cow!" Ginny whispered angrily. "What gives her the right?"

I snorted. "Freedom of the press. Or at least, that's what it would be in the muggle world. I'm not sure it's much different here."

"How do we stop her?" Harry and Neville asked the follow up question before Neville continued. "And what do we look for?"

"We catch her, preferably in her Animagus form, and keep her from doing anything else." I chuckled, with a dark edge to it. "Keep an eye out for any bugs that seem unusually still, that seem to be paying close attention to things around them. Especially those bugs that are hanging out in the vicinity of me, Harry, Fleur, or Viktor. Those are the scoops she wants the most."

Bella smirked. "And when we catch her, we never let her go."

~*~UHS~*~

Saturday morning, I was in my corner of the Common Room, waiting for the rest of the Gryffindor misfits to wake up so we could go into Hogsmeade to look for Hagrid. We had tried his hut earlier in the week, but he wouldn't answer. I had even looked for his heartbeat and thoughts but had been unable to find him. So we thought our next best chance would be to look in The Three Broomsticks for him. It was his favorite watering hole after all.

I was reading through an advanced potions book when Percy's screech owl flew through the window and landed on my desk. I looked up to see that he was holding an envelope in his beak. I had learned that a lot of owls didn't like it when I took their letters, or packages, from their beaks, so to make them feel better I held out my hand underneath the item and let them drop it into my hand, giving them a sense of security.

"Thank you, Hermes. Is this urgent?"

Hermes tilted his head at me. Staring with his big yellow eyes. _Percy says important. Must read._ _I will wait for reply._

I nodded and pulled the letter out of the envelope.

_Dear Edward,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I find myself very concerned._

_Remember at the Yule Ball, when I told you that Mr. Crouch had been missing days of work, behaving erratically, and calling in sick? Well, it seems to have escalated. _

_I am still filling in for him, taking on many more responsibilities, but Barty Crouch seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. And from whisperings around the Ministry, he isn't the only one. In fact, from the little bit of research I have been able to do into the first wizarding war with he-who-must-not-be-named, things like this are what predated his rise to power._

_I endeavor to stay here, in the Ministry, to get as much information as possible. But I am concerned that I will have to make sacrifices to maintain my position as a potential spy. What should I do, Edward? I hope you have some ideas for me because I am really worried I shall lose someone I love._

_Please give me some advice._

_Percy._

That was not good news. Not the part about Barty Crouch missing, nor the fact that this act of disappearing witches and wizards were the catalyst for Voldemort's rise to power last time. I decided the best thing to do was to write back to Percy and let him know that he had someone to talk to.

_Percy,_

_Thank you for writing and letting me know what is going on at the Ministry. I remember you telling me about Crouch starting to become erratic at Christmas._

_You have done well in staying under the radar while maintaining your position and gathering information about not only what's going on now but what happened the first time around. The more informed we are, the better prepared we become. Because he will come back. He's fighting to come back, and he will return. Prepare for that, Percy. Because you are in a prime position to become the good guys' ultimate spy._

_I promise you that should you have to sacrifice home and family to maintain your cover, I will do all that I can to protect the ones you love. From your father, to Ron, to Ginny. I can't promise that everyone will be okay, but I promise to do the best I can._

_Keep gathering information. Keep researching the past, and keep me updated on what you find, what you hear, and even rumors that are floating around. But be careful. Do not give yourself away. So, most importantly, keep safe._

_I am here for you. Write to me, talk to me, and confide in me. I'll do all I can to help. I'll be your confidant should you need it._

_Write soon._

_Edward._

Bella entered the Common Room as I was handing Hermes a treat before he took the letter for Percy and flew off into the blue sky.

_Was that Percy's owl?_ Bella asked after she'd situated herself in my lap. She was already dressed for the day, ready to go.

"It was," I whispered into her hair, pulling her close. "He's heard some rumblings around the Ministry. I'll tell you more when the walls don't have ears."

Bella reached up and kissed my lips softly. "Sounds good."

We sat quietly until the others came down to head out for breakfast before we left for Hogsmeade. Once we were on the carriages, I quietly filled Bella in on what Percy had to say. He hadn't expressly asked for my silence, but for now, I wanted to keep the others burden free. Bella was my confidant, and I wouldn't keep things from her.

_It's starting. Isn't it?_ she thought while looking at the passing landscape.

"I think so. But we both knew that it would eventually."

Bella nodded. _I just thought we might have been a little older._ Bella snorted. _Well, me, at least. I was hoping to know more spells, be more prepared._

"Just because it's starting doesn't mean he'll attack straight away. He has to come back to a proper form; he has to build his base of power. Those things can take time. We still have time to learn other magical spells, and in the case of the misfits, grow older, stronger, and wiser. Voldemort won't come back into his body and be prepared for war."

_He'll have to re-gather his supporters._

"And probably punish those who turned against him. And he'll do that to prove he's just as strong now as he was back then."

Bella looked up at me. Her eyes were watering. _People are going to die. Innocent people. Our friends and family. _Bella looked at all of our friends in the carriage with us before she looked back at me._ Maybe one of our misfits won't make it through this coming war._

I pulled Bella into a tighter hug. I was also giving her a chance to hide her face and the tears that were leaking from the corner of her eyes. "Unfortunately, there's a chance of that with any war. This one is worse because it's hitting so close to home, and we seem to be in the middle of it."

_True._

"Hey, guys, you coming?" Harry called from the ground. Bella and I had been so absorbed in our conversation that we had missed our arrival at Hogsmeade station.

"Yeah, sorry." I helped Bella down from the carriage. She wrapped herself around my arm once we were on the ground.

"Everything okay?" Ginny asked, sensing Bella's quiet demeanor.

Bella nodded, giving her a smile. "I'm okay. Just worried about Hagrid."

"Then let's go see if we can find him!" Ginny cheered, getting a laugh out of everyone before she skipped ahead to link arms with Hermione and Luna.

We spent the morning scouring every inch of Hogsmeade and the surrounding areas. By lunchtime, we were starving, the others freezing and wanting to sit down out of the weather. We hadn't found hide nor hair of Hagrid anywhere. We only had one more place to look, and that was where we were headed.

The Three Broomsticks.

Walking into the pub was a relief, even for me. Sure, as a vampire I don't feel the cold, but even I can get sick of—or annoyed by—the constant wind, rain, or snow. The Three Broomsticks was warm, cozy, and just what we needed after spending all morning looking for Hagrid.

Ginny led the way, winding her way around the tables, to find one large enough to hold all of us in the back. Madame Rosmerta had just come and taken our orders when some new voices arguing with a familiar one caught my attention. Bella and I looked over to the corner not far from us to see Ludo Bagman.

Neville must have noticed our preoccupation and followed our line of sight. "What's he doing here?"

"Not sure yet." I shrugged, focusing on the group but still listening to Ludo. "But whatever it is can't be good. Those goblins are far scarier than others I've encountered since joining the wizarding world."

The argument went quiet for a few minutes when they noticed that people were paying attention to them, but by the time Madame Rosmerta delivered our food and drinks, the goblins were leaning in again.

"Why are we meeting here?" Goblin one hissed.

"We are out of place here. Somewhere more accepting would have been better," Goblin two followed up, hissing as well.

Ludo waved at someone who was happy to see him. "Where else should we have met?"

The third goblin, who had done nothing but glare at Ludo spat out, "The Hogs Head. Where all are welcomed."

The look on Ludo's face was shocked, astonished. Like he'd never thought that anyone could feel unwelcomed anywhere. Being that he was revered as a jock, a quidditch player, that didn't come as a surprise. But his thoughts surprised me the most. When the Hogs Head was mentioned, I saw a place that was darker, a little seedier, but well maintained. Ludo had been there once, and while the owner—who looked surprisingly like Dumbledore—certainly welcomed everyone into his pub, the clientele were different. They were the less accepted types. The ones who were shunned. Picked on. Left out. And that was where these goblins felt accepted.

I could see where The Hogs Head was located. I was surprised we hadn't found it earlier when we were searching all through Hogsmeade. But if Ludo's, and now the goblins' thoughts, were anything to go by, it was hidden away in some far corner where students didn't usually venture.

The first goblin waved his hand. "No matter. We are here. Now, Ludo, where is our money?"

"I … um … I promise I'm getting it. In fact, I will have it before the tournament is over. I have insider knowledge of the champions … and I know who is going to win …" The more Ludo stumbled over his words, the more his thoughts revealed. Bagman was a gambler. And he was in deep.

I groaned, calling everyone's attention at the table.

"What's going on, Edward?" Bella asked.

"Ludo has a gambling problem. He owes the goblins money. That's what they're discussing. But from their thoughts, I found another place we can search for Hagrid." I looked down to see that I hadn't touched my food. "After lunch."

The others snorted into laughter around me as I dug into my food. It wasn't often that I zoned out that much. Especially after what had happened with Brunhilde in our first year. But occasionally, I get caught up in the thoughts of others. At least this time, I was sitting down and surrounded by my friends and family.

We were still laughing and carrying on when Ludo approached our table, obviously having finished up with the goblins. "Harry! Edward! How are you doing, boys?"

I nodded my hello, considering I had food in my mouth, but Harry answered for the both of us. "We're good, Mr. Bagman. How are you?"

"Good, good. I was wondering if I could have a word with you, Harry. Just over here?"

"Sure." Harry agreed as he stood. He gave me a pointed look, wanting me to listen in.

I rolled my eyes. Like I wouldn't anyway.

Harry laughed and followed Ludo over to a different spot. "What can I help you with, Mr. Bagman?"

As Ludo regaled Harry with details about the next task, which we had already figured out for ourselves, I probed his thoughts. When I had been learning to control my gift, all those many years ago, I found that a lot of people could think about one thing, yet talk about something else. Humans as a species are pretty simple. They can only manage one multitask at a time, but what I had discovered about those in the wizarding world is that they could hold that conversation, and think about that conversation and something else at the same time. And it was those thoughts of Ludo's that I wanted to listen to.

His thoughts, while important, didn't yield much information. He knew about the disappearance of Barty Crouch but didn't have any further information on that front. As far as he was concerned, Barty was taking a long holiday somewhere, or recovering from a long binge on alcohol. Although, he did link his disappearance to the one I was hoping to get information on—Bertha Jorkins. But it seemed Ludo cared about her as much as he had during the Quidditch World Cup, which wasn't much. Regardless, he had no new information on her disappearance. I might have to ask Percy to see what he could find. I wondered if Bertha was the one he'd referenced in his letter because, if so, we'd already spoken about her. He was under a lot of stress; he might have forgotten.

"What is that bitch doing here?" Bella's cuss brought me out of Ludo's mind and back to the pub. Bella didn't often cuss, so for her to do so now was concerning, but that wasn't the half of it.

My bigger concern was that Bella, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna all stood from the table at almost exactly the same time. They started to head for the door. I followed their heading only to see that one Rita Skeeter had walked into The Three Broomsticks, and she had no idea what was coming for her.

"Bella, it's a free world. She's allowed to drink here," I called, trying to slow her down.

Bella spun and pointed a finger in my direction. "I don't care that she can drink here. I don't care that she thinks she can do whatever she wants. What I care about is that her lies, her manipulations, have once again hurt someone I care about, and she needs to hear about it."

Hermione, Luna, and Ginny were standing behind Bella, nodding their heads.

"Okay, girls, I get that. But, Bella, if you confront her, she's going to use it to badmouth you and your species, and probably me as well. Haven't we had enough of her doing that to us? To our friends?"

Bella opened her mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it. She was the only one, however, because when Ginny and Luna saw that she had stopped, they turned and marched over to where Rita was standing. Harry and Neville not far behind.

"What gives you the right to spread such malicious lies?" Ginny asked, getting right up into Rita's face. Ginny wasn't quiet when she asked the question, and that called the attention of everyone in their vicinity.

Rita spun around to face Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and Neville. "What do you mean? You have no idea what happened in that interview."

"No," Hermione growled, "but we know Hagrid. In fact, we're close personal friends. And we have never so much as seen him furrow his brow in anger. He's never raised his voice. Hagrid would never do what you printed about him."

"What? When he wouldn't give you the information about me or Edward that you wanted, you decided to spread lies about him? To get revenge, you tried to turn the community that loves him against him? All to save your precious reputation as the one who gets the inside scoops?" Harry fired question after question at Rita, only giving her short areas of space to answer before asking the next one.

Neville tilted his head to the side. "What I want to know is how she gets her so called 'insider' information. What sources do you have inside Hogwarts?"

It was that last question that jogged Rita's thoughts loose. Not that I got much other than a series of pictures, all of ladybugs. But it gave us a direction to look in.

"I don't have to stand here and defend myself to a bunch of teenagers who have no idea how the world works," Rita said indignantly. "You have no right to question me about my methods."

I snorted. "If they were more honest, and you wrote the truth instead, we wouldn't have to. I don't know how the wizarding world puts up with it, to be honest."

"What would you know?" Rita crossed her arms and lifted her nose in the air.

Luna's lilting laugh filtered through the tension that had escalated. "You take your inspiration from those evil little gnats flying around you. Be aware, that even if you steer your stories with their help, eventually those wrackspurts will turn against you. Wrackspurts won't do much harm; wrackspurts, however, will ruin you."

Everyone froze and looked to Luna. I had to admire her; she certainly knew how to break the tension, even if it was at her own expense.

Ginny turned back to Rita, a scowl on her face. "Oh, I believe he knows more than you think, Rita Skeeter. See, Edward here comes from the muggle world, and he's probably seen this thing that you do a hundred times over. Not only that; he's much older than you would expect, being that he's a vampire. And you know that; you've done your research on him. Written all about him in the Daily Prophet. Don't you think he'd know what you're up to? What with all his worldly experience?"

Bella snorted, then broke out into a fit of giggles, when Rita had nothing to say to Ginny's questions. Because, really, what could she say. Ginny was right. Rita had done her research on me. Maybe the most extensive. She'd interviewed Bella and our family to get as much information as possible. And still managed to get a lot of it wrong. Which the Daily Prophet knew, thanks to the hundred or so letters that the students of Hogwarts had written to the Prophet's office.

"Is there a problem here?" Madame Rosmerta stepped over to us.

"No," Bella snorted, trying to get herself under control. "We've made our point, Madame Rosmerta. Thank you for having us here today. We'll be leaving now. We have other things to do."

"Good luck in the tournament, gentlemen. The whole of Hogsmeade is cheering the Hogwarts champions on. See you next time you're in town. Ms. Skeeter, if you wouldn't mind stepping out of their way. I think I see a spare table for you, over there, under the staircase"—here Rosmerta's voice dropped low enough that only we could hear her—"where you can hide from your embarrassment."

The seven of us burst into laughter and just about fell all over each other as we exited out of the pub door. Everyone followed me as we wandered along the street. The farther along we went, the quieter everyone became.

"Where are we going, Edward?" Bella asked when she couldn't stand the silence any longer. She wasn't the only one.

"When I was listening to the goblins and Bagman in The Three Broomsticks earlier, I overheard them talk about another place here in Hogsmeade. Somewhere we didn't know about and didn't find this morning."

The others looked at me strangely, but Bella nodded. "They mentioned The Hogs Head. Is that where you mean?"

"Yeah. Apparently, the owner accepts people from all walks of life, even encourages them to come there. I figured if Hagrid wanted to hide, he'd hide among people who would accept him for who he is, no matter what."

"And that's where we're going now?" Harry asked. "Where is it?"

"This way." I guided everyone around a corner, between two very close buildings. "It is. And it's off the beaten path, so to speak. Buried among some of the other lesser known buildings of Hogsmeade."

Instead of answering me, the misfits followed along. It didn't take long to find the pub at the very edge of town. Surrounded by and almost hidden by trees, The Hogs Head was definitely darker than anything in town. But the one good thing about this pub was that I could hear Hagrid inside, drowning his sorrows in mead.

"Found him." Everyone celebrated at my words until I held up my hands. "He is here, but he's been drinking. On the plus side, he's a big guy, and he hasn't had nearly enough to get him drunk."

Neville looked at the door. "So we should be able to reason with him?"

I nodded. "Let's hope so."

I led our group up to the door and pulled it open to reveal a much darker interior. It was lit by lanterns, but they were few and far between. But the pub was busy. The level of chatter that came out of the pub when I opened the door was amazing.

"Halt, before you come any farther!" A deep resonate voice called when we stepped through the door. "Who are you?"

The man who stepped in front of us was tall, with a beard that reached his waistline. His hair was gray, with a slight wave to it, and he wore brown felt wizard's robes. But it was his eyes that were the most familiar. I just couldn't place from where.

I held my hand out for him to shake. "My name is Edward Masen. This is my mate Bella Swan, and our friends, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Hermione Granger. We're students from Hogwarts."

"Masen, huh? I've heard about you. You're a vampire, and your little mate here is a Veela. On top of that, you and Harry Potter are two of the four Triwizard Champions." The man looked over each of us after shaking my hand.

"Yes, sir."

We waited patiently to see what he would say next. I could feel the tension amp up when he opened his mouth. "Welcome to the Hogs Head. I'm owner and barman of this fine establishment. Please call me Aberforth. You're welcome here, but don't expect to be served any alcohol, got it."

Everyone let out a relieved chuckle while I smiled at him. "Thank you. We'd love a round of butterbeers, and if you could point us in Hagrid's direction, we'd be much appreciative."

"Oh," Aberforth nodded, his face turning solemn. "He's over in the corner. Good luck, and I'll be right out with your drinks."

We nodded before weaving through the tables toward Hagrid. Bella's thoughts, however, caught my attention. I looked over at her.

_What? _she thought when she caught me looking at her. _He does look a bit like Professor Dumbledore. Only broader, and maybe a little rounder._

I chuckled at her giggle because she was right. But he was solid, and well built. "Think they could be related?"

Bella shrugged. _I don't see why not. We can always ask and find out. Or do some research into the Dumbledore family tree._

"Oh, Hagrid," the girls whispered sadly before running up to him and wrapping him up in a hug.

Hagrid jumped when the girls' arms went around him, and he looked up, bleary eyed, as Neville, Harry, and I took a seat. "What 're yeh all doin' 'ere?"

"We've been looking for you, Hagrid," I answered. "We've missed you in our Care of Magical Creatures classes."

"Yeah," Neville chimed in. "Professor Grubbly-Plank only brings the boring animals for us to learn about."

Ginny, Hermione, Luna, and Bella all sat when Hagrid had indicated he'd had enough of the fawning. "Didn't yeh read the Daily Prophet?"

We all nodded, but Harry addressed this concern. "Of course, we did. But why do you think that would stop us from being your friend?"

While Hagrid thought about how he wanted to word his question, Aberforth brought over our drinks. I had just brought mine up to drink when the smell hit my nose. That was not butterbeer. I looked down sharply to see that my goblet was filled with blood, dragon's blood by the smell of it. My head snapped back up in the direction Aberforth had gone to see him already looking in my direction. I nodded my head to him in thanks, only for him to tip an imaginary hat in my direction.

With the offer of blood instead of butterbeer, Aberforth had solidified himself as truly accepting of anyone. He was one of a kind.

Hagrid interrupted my appreciation. "Aren't yeh afraid of me?"

Ginny and Hermione stood to wrap their arms around Hagrid's large shoulders while Bella reached out to hold his hand and answer his question. "You've never given us a reason to be afraid of you, Hagrid. You've always been friendly and kind. You've never raised your voice or used your size to intimidate us. Hagrid, you are one of the nicest people we have ever met."

Neville snorted. "And really, considering our family is made up of vampires …"

"Werewolves!" Ginny interrupted.

"House elves!" Hermione joined in.

"Flying dogs," Harry said next.

"Humans, unicorns, and owls." I laughed. "A half giant just seems to fit right in with this bunch of misfits."

Hagrid was looking at us wide eyed. Surprised by our passion for him, no doubt. Then slowly, his mouth twitched, causing his beard to move, then he let out a low chuckle. But once Hagrid started laughing, it was like he couldn't stop. He positively guffawed, drawing the attention of everyone in the pub.

By the time he stopped, we were all, at least, smiling with him. "Thank yeh for that." Hagrid grinned back at us. "Professor Dumbledore told me the same thing, but I guess I needed to 'ear it from someone else."

~*~UHS~*~

A few days before we were due to participate in the second task, Fleur, Viktor, Harry, and I were gathered in the Room of Requirement, practicing the spells we were going to use to breathe underwater for an hour. Viktor had managed to perfect a partial transfiguration spell while Fleur and I were planning to use a charm we had found in one of our advanced Charms books from the library. Harry had tried to do those, and many others, but had so far been unable to hold them for longer than forty minutes at a time.

"I'm never going to get this in time, Edward." Harry threw his hands in the air. "What else am I going to do?"

"I zink you are putting too much pressure on yourself, 'Arry. We get zat you are ze youngest, but you have well-known parentage. Magic iz in your blood." Fleur tried to soothe Harry's frazzled nerves.

It seemed to be the wrong thing to say because Harry exploded. "You think I don't know that! My parents were famous aurors. They went up against Voldemort on several occasions and came out on top. At least, until he decided to go for a sneak attack, like a coward. But all that knowledge and I can't perform a charm or spell that will last longer than an hour! How am I supposed to find something that has been taken in an hour if I can't get my spells to last longer than that?"

I walked forward and placed my hands on Harry's shoulders. "Calm, Harry. I do understand your frustrations. But there was no need to explode on Fleur like that. She was only trying to point out where you might be going wrong. And it seems to me she was right. You're trying to live up to your parents' legacy instead of carving your own. Nobody expects you to be them. We all want you to be yourself."

"I know," Harry groaned, grabbing his hair with both hands, much like I was known to do. "I know." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Fleur. I was out of line."

"It'z okay, Harry. We have all been zere. Right, Viktor?"

Harry and I both turned to Viktor, who was nodding his head. "Yes. There have been many times where I have been frustrated with spells I have been unable to complete as well as I should have. Sometimes taking a step back, doing something you enjoy, can clear your head enough to let you complete a spell."

"If only I had enough time between now and then to have a quidditch match. That would be awesome." Harry sighed as he plopped down into a chair that had appeared behind him. "It's something I've really missed this year. What else can I do though?"

I sat down on one of the other chairs that had popped up, seeing as we had finished practicing for today. "What about procuring some gillyweed?"

"What?" Harry sat up to look at me.

"Remember when we were sitting in the library researching spells and charms? Neville produced that book Professor Moody had given him, the one about magical plants of the Mediterranean?"

Harry sucked in a breath while Fleur and Viktor nodded.

"That's right. Do you think we can get our hands on some?" Harry asked.

I shrugged but called out to the one person I knew could help. "Kreacher?"

"Yes, Master Edward?" Kreacher bowed the second he popped into the Room of Requirement.

"Do you know where I can get my hands on some gillyweed?"

"Kreacher doesn't know right now, Master Edward. But if you give Kreacher some time, Kreacher will find out for you."

I smiled. "Thank you, Kreacher. Your help is, as always, invaluable." I turned to look at the others as Kreacher popped back out of the room. "Don't worry, Harry. You'll be breathing underwater like the rest of us in no time."

~*~UHS~*~

I was sitting in my corner of the Gryffindor Common Room after everyone had gone to bed when Kreacher came back to me.

"Good evening, Kreacher."

"Evening, Master Edward. Kreacher has the information you asked of him. But Kreacher is afraid you are not going to like it."

I snorted. "That news doesn't surprise me. What did you find?"

"Gillyweed, Mediterranean plant. Used for witches and wizards to breathe underwater …" Here Kreacher paused "… and also used in many, many … potions."

My eyes fell closed, and I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, before I opened them again. Of course. "So the only place I will be able to get some …"

"Is in Professor Snape's storeroom." Kreacher finished my sentence. "Kreacher can get it for you, Master Edward."

"While I appreciate that, Kreacher, I want to investigate Snape's storeroom myself. But you are welcome to come with me," I said as I stood from my seat. "I could use a lookout."

Kreacher nodded and quietly followed me through the portrait and down the Grand Staircase. We were almost at the bottom before Kreacher spoke. "What does Master Edward want with the gillyweed?"

"You know about the tournament, yes?" Kreacher nodded but kept quiet as I peered around the corner to check our surroundings to make sure we wouldn't be seen. "The next task requires us to be under water for an hour, searching for something. Fleur and Krum have mastered spells to help them do that. Harry, however, has not."

"And you do not need to," Kreacher observed.

"Exactly."

We were both quiet again as we made our way down toward the bowels of the castle. But I was surprised. Halfway to the lower corridors, we had to hide from none other than Professor Moody. Kreacher and I ducked into an alcove hidden by a tapestry, holding our breaths until he limped past.

"I wonder what he was up to," I mused.

"Shall Kreacher and Master Edward follow his scent trail?" Kreacher asked.

"I'll do that. Can you follow him? Report back where he goes?"

"Certainly. Kreacher can do that. But what about your lookout?"

I looked down at our house elf. He was staring earnestly back at me. He wanted to help. "Can you keep track of me, even if you aren't with me?" Kreacher nodded to my question. "Follow Moody but keep track of me. If you finish with him, and I'm still here, come back. Otherwise, I'll meet you in the Common Room. My mind reading and other senses should be enough."

Kreacher nodded, clicked his fingers to change his Swan pillowcase to a Hogwarts pillowcase, and disappeared around the tapestry we were hiding behind. I waited a few more seconds, then ducked out from the hiding spot as well. I used my enhanced senses to locate the trail that Moody left behind. Slowly and carefully, I navigated the corridors below the Entrance Hall, following Moody's trail. It was roundabout, but eventually, it lead to the very same room I was heading toward—Snape's potion storeroom.

"Now, that is very interesting," I mused, unlocking the door, sliding inside, and closing it softly behind me. Once inside, I found both Snape's and Moody's scents all over many bottles of ingredients, but Moody's had a pattern to them. "Fluxweed … knotgrass … powdered bicorn horn … and lacewing flies. This is where he's getting his supplies to make Polyjuice Potion. Snape must be furious."

It took me a few minutes to find the gillyweed, but once I did, I left, locking the door behind me. I made my way back through the corridors of the dungeon before climbing the stairs to the Entrance Hall. Once I was certain I hadn't been followed, I used my vampire speed to make it back to the Gryffindor Common Room as fast as possible.

"Evening, Edward. Out a little late, aren't you?" The Fat Lady asked as I climbed the last few steps to her portrait.

I smiled my most charming smile. "I am, Lady. But I'm helping Harry prepare for the second Triwizard task. That should give me some leeway, shouldn't it?"

"We do want our Hogwarts champions to do well." The Fat Lady gave me a secret smile. "I won't tell if you won't. Good luck, Edward."

"Thank you." I bowed. "Banana Fritters," I said the password that was changed just after Christmas, and she swung open wide. As I stepped over the knee-knocker, Kreacher popped into my corner of the Common Room. "Kreacher, how did it go?"

"He wound his way around the castle, taking the long way to get back to his office. Once there, he produced a set of keys and opened the trunk. This key didn't open the section where Alistair Moody was being kept but another part of the trunk."

I rolled my eyes at myself. I should have thought about that. My trunk has different sections and looks a lot like Moody's. Why I didn't think about his being the same is beyond me. Charlie and Moody were both aurors, and good ones at that; it's not a surprise they had similar trunks.

"Damn. I should have thought about that. Where did he open it up to?"

"Kreacher heard the clanking of many bottles, the stirring of a cauldron. Kreacher believes that whoever that man is, he has a potions room as part of his trunk."

I nodded. "It'll be where he's making his polyjuice potion."

"And others." I frowned at Kreacher, not understanding what he meant. "Kreacher can sense that he is not just using polyjuice potion to maintain his cover. Because he needs to brew his potion constantly, and take it all the time, he's making another potion to keep himself awake. He does not sleep."

"Does that mean he'll become exhausted? That he could possibly make a mistake?" I asked with some excitement. Unfortunately, Kreacher shook his head.

"No, Master Edward. It's not like in the muggle world. The only time someone would feel exhausted was if they left it too long, took it too late. With someone who is as accomplished at taking potions as this man seems to be, he would not forget." Kreacher watched me for a moment. "Kreacher must be going; he has breakfast to start helping to prepare. Place the gillyweed in some water to keep for Master Harry."

"I will. Thank you, Kreacher. You really are invaluable."

Kreacher smiled, clicked his fingers, and disappeared.

~*~UHS~*~

"I know you are all excited that the next tournament task is tomorrow. But please focus. You all need to learn the banishing charm!" Professor Flitwick called out over the din of noise in our charms class.

Slowly, the talking, laughing, and carrying on calmed, and Professor Flitwick was able to carry on with his lesson.

"Thank you." He breathed out. "Now, the banishing charm is also known as Depulso. Pronounced as de-Puhl-so. This charm is the opposite of the summoning charm Accio. So Accio brings things toward you while Depulso pushes them away. Please watch me while I demonstrate."

Professor Flitwick made a sweeping motion with his hand while he said "Depulso". The small stack of books he had placed in front of him exploded backward away from him, almost to the back of the room. Professor Flitwick smiled when the class cheered for him. We enjoyed coming to this class because Professor Flitwick was an excellent teacher.

He stood up as straight as he could. "For those who would like to review the chapter before they practice, please do so at your desks. For those of you who have read over the chapter and believe they are ready, I have placed cushions in the open space for you to practice flinging away."

The second Professor Flitwick said that there were cushions to be flung around by us, he lost the attention of the class. Bella couldn't help but laugh at me and the other boys because we were highly distracted due to the tournament the next day. And the second those words were out of our professor's mouth, we were all up and moving to those cushions.

_Boys!_ Bella thought with a laugh as she pulled her book toward her. _Any chance to throw things around—either by magic or hand—and they forget about everything else._

"Not true," I argued at vampire pitch. "I could never forget about you."

This time Bella laughed out loud. _Mmhmm, sure, Edward. Ginny, Hermione, and I will just make sure we have the spell right first. You boys go be destructive with pillows._

I couldn't help but laugh at the wry look on Bella's face. She knew I could never forget about her, but she also knew that we boys loved things more physical than the three girls did.

For almost an hour, every single boy in our charms class flung pillows—not only around the classroom but at each other. We were laughing hysterically even as Professor Flitwick tried to calm us all down. I was even in on the action, flinging pillows at Neville and Harry. When the girls got up to have their turn at practicing the spell, we tried to behave. And we almost succeeded.

That was until Neville cast a perfect Depulso, just in the wrong direction. Neville was casting the spell while dodging a pillow I had sent his way. He took a step to the side and spun just so, so that his pillow smacked Hermione in the face.

We all froze when Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. We stayed that way until Bella let out a small giggle. She slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock that she had laughed, before Bella couldn't help it anymore. Within seconds, Harry, Ginny, Bella, and I were laughing at the looks on Hermione and Neville's faces.

"Ohh, you shouldn't have done that." Hermione gave Neville a rather evil smile before she took a few steps to the side, waved her hand, and said, "Depulso!"

Hermione's cushion flew at Neville, but he was smart enough to duck so that the cushion actually hit Harry—who was still laughing. He stopped abruptly. But the look on his face said it all. Before he could act on the thoughts he was having, I was struck with a cushion from the other direction, which was followed by another fit of Bella's giggles.

"No, no, no!" Professor Flitwick called out as pillows started flying in every direction, aimed at anyone in the way. "That's not what we are supposed to be doing!"

It was too late though. What followed was the biggest pillow fight I'd ever seen. Of course, it seemed even bigger because we were using our wands to fling the pillows and not our hands. By the time the bell rang for us to change classes, there were feathers everywhere. The classroom was absolutely covered in them, as was everyone in it, and Professor Flitwick was unimpressed.

"While I appreciate the fact that you all were practicing the Depulso charm, this was not the way to go about it. Everyone, before you go, you can now cast the Repairo charm and fix all of these pillows." Flitwick crossed his arms and looked down on us from his perch on the stack of books he always stood on and waited for us to repair every single pillow.

Once we did, he spoke again. "Good luck to Mr. Masen and Mr. Potter for tomorrow's task. Now, please leave my classroom."

Our group left the classroom quietly. Bella looped her arm through mine as we made our way through the door. She may have been quiet but the funny little smirk on her face told a story of how amused she was at the whole situation.

"Something funny, my girl?"

_I've never gotten into trouble for practicing a spell before. I mean, no matter how we were doing it, we were still casting the spell. And getting it right!_

I chuckled. "I think it was the mess we were creating that was the issue. The fact that we were pelting those cushions at each other, which could possibly have caused injury, is what Professor Flitwick was worried about. And upset about."

"Oh. That makes sense. We were a little bit reckless." Bella held up her finger and thumb an inch apart.

"A little bit?" Hermione laughed.

Bella smirked. "Okay, a lot."

"I'm so glad this is our last class for the day." Ginny sighed as we walked through the doors to the Entrance Hall and out into the castle grounds. "I'm not focused enough for classes today."

Neville snorted. "Thanks to our display in Charms, I'm not sure anyone is focused enough. They really should have cancelled classes."

"Yeah, I can see how that would have gone." I laughed. "Instead of kids messing up in class where it can be controlled, it would have been all over the castle. There would have been pockets of magic that would have broken out all over the place."

"And considering we aren't supposed to use magic out of class, in the halls …" Ginny trailed off.

I pointed at her. "Exactly. At least, in class, we're manageable."

"Then I'm not sure I have high hopes for Care of Magical Creatures." Bella laughed this time. "I mean, we're outside, with magical creatures. This could go very, very bad."

I adopted a solemn look and looked every single one of the misfits in the eye—those who were in Gryffindor anyway—before I said, "We shall be on our best behavior in this class. I'm not sure Professor Grubbly-Plank would survive a class like the last one."

"Definitely not!" the others all said together before breaking out into laughter.

By the time we'd settled down, we were walking around the back of Hagrid's cabin, expecting Professor Grubbly-Plank to be preparing another boring lecture on an animal that we could find ourselves. But instead of her, we found someone better.

"Hagrid!" Ginny, Hermione, and Bella nearly shouted in surprise before running up to hug him. "You're back!"

"I am!" he said with a laugh while giving them a hug back.

"Does this mean no more boring animals?" Neville whispered as the Slytherins started to join us.

Hagrid coughed. "Professor Dumbledore 'as said I should finish the unicorns Professor Grubbly-Plank started. But after that"—Hagrid shrugged—" Who knows?"

Hagrid was back to his usual self, even if he had to continue on with someone else's lesson plan. Hagrid did one better. Yes, we had seen a unicorn, and yes, we'd seen a foal. But Hagrid managed to convince a mother with an even younger foal, one that hadn't lost its golden glow, to venture out. And in that one act, he'd cemented his place as the Care of Magical Creatures professor in the minds of the others. Unfortunately for them, I didn't see him keeping up with these kinds of animals.

~*~UHS~*~

"Are we practicing tonight?" Harry asked, plonking his bag on the table in the library.

Bella and I had been there for an hour already as she was going to have finals. Being that it was February, she wanted to get a head start so she wasn't as stressed. Hermione, Ginny, and Luna had followed not long after. Eventually everyone trickled in and sat at our table, including Viktor—who was amassing a bigger fan club everyday (much to his annoyance)—Fleur, and Gabrielle.

"Don't you think you're as prepared as you can get?" Ginny asked from the other side of Bella.

Harry shook his head, hard. "I don't think I can ever be prepared for what they're throwing at us. I didn't want to be in the tournament to begin with. Yet here I am, all because someone wanted me in there, and we still have no idea who."

_Voldemort,_ Bella thought automatically, not stopping what she was reading. I couldn't help but agree with her, even if it was only silently, but she continued. _How can he not see that? Who else would want it?_

"I think he does," I said at vampire pitch, "but doesn't want to acknowledge it. Would you want to admit that a crazed, power-hungry serial killer was after you?"

_No. You're going to practice with him, aren't you?_ she asked as I started packing my things.

"Yep. See you in the Common Room later?"

_As always. Love you._

I stood, leaning over to kiss Bella softly so as not to upset Madame Pince's sensibilities. "Back at ya, baby. Come on, Harry, let's get some practice in. Fleur, Viktor? You coming?"

With a reply of "yep" from Viktor, and a "sure" from Fleur before she said goodnight to Gabrielle, we walked out of the library. We were silent as we made our way up to the Room of Requirement, mostly so I could concentrate on everyone around me to make sure we weren't followed.

"What are we practicing today?" Fleur asked when we had placed all of our bags by the door.

I shrugged. "Anything you want. I think we just need to make sure that whatever spell we use lasts the hour we need it to." I pulled Harry over to the side while Viktor and Fleur cast their spells and started to move around the room, making sure those spells maintained while moving.

"I know you're going to practice these spells, Harry. And I know you can do them, even under pressure, but I got you this." I handed him the jar I had in my hand. "I got you the gillyweed for the task. You won't need to worry about using one of these spells."

Harry surprised me by placing the jar on the floor and launching at me. He wrapped me up in a giant hug. "Thank you, Edward."

I patted him on the back. "No worries. We're not only friends but family. And I'd do anything for anyone of you."

Harry nodded when he pulled back. He put the jar into his bag before we got started on our practicing as well. For a little over an hour, that's exactly what we did, all the while I was keeping a part of my brain on Bella and the others in the library. And so it was with that piece of my brain that I caught an interaction between Bella and another student when he approached the group.

"Excuse me? You are Isabella Swan?" he asked.

Bella looked up. "Yes. Can I help you?"

"Professor Dumbledore asked me to give you this letter." At this the boy—who had to be a first year—handed over an envelope sealed with wax.

"Thank you," Bella called to his retreating form before slipping her finger under the flap, opening it up, and reading it quietly to herself.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

Bella looked around the group left at the table with a small frown on her face. "Professor Dumbledore would like me to come to his office. I can't think of anything I've done wrong … lately."

Ginny snorted into quiet laughter. "You haven't done anything wrong. When have we had time this year?"

Bella nodded. "Good point."

Harry distracted me from what was happening in the library, and whatever else Bella was about to say, by flinging a spell at me. "What's got you lost in thought?"

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "Dumbledore just had a letter delivered to Bella asking her to come to his office. It was delivered by a young first year boy …"

"Let me guess, you had to make sure he wasn't a threat." Harry burst into laughter. His comment caused Viktor and Fleur to laugh at me too.

I blew a raspberry at him before flinging a spell in his direction. For the next little while, we all flung spells at each other, using it as a distraction to create some calm before the task the next day.

That was until the bracelet—my mating bracelet—flared white hot, and Bella's thoughts dropped from my mind. I couldn't hear anything from her. I froze mid-spell, my mind reading ranging out as far as I could go, not finding anything from Bella.

"Edward?" a voice intruded into my searching. "Edward, what is it?"

I blinked, finding that I was still in the Room of Requirement.

"Edward?" This time, I realized that Fleur was the person talking.

"Bella!" I gasped. "She's gone. Her voice and thoughts are gone. I can't find her anywhere!"

"Could she be hiding from you?" Viktor asked.

I shook my head as Harry answered for me. "No. She'd never do that. She could hide things from him, yes, but she'd never close off her whole mind. She hasn't done that since the day she found out she could do Occlumency."

My bracelet was still burning hot against my arm, causing me to worry. That meant that wherever she was, it was affecting our bond as mates. I couldn't have that. "I have to find her!"

I raced to the door, picking up my bag.

"Wait!" Harry called, continuing when I stopped. "Let us help. We can split up and look together faster. I'll go to the Common Room. Fleur, you go search in the library, just in case. Viktor, call your broom and go check the grounds. Talk to any teachers you come across, check every lead. Edward, you go and search where she was going last."

"Dumbledore's office." I nodded.

"Right. And we'll meet by the doors to the castle." Harry pulled the door open but stood to the side because he knew I would run the second I could, and he was right.

The last thing I heard from Harry was him calling out for Kreacher.

I flew down the staircase to the corridor that branched out to Dumbledore's office. I could smell Bella, but that wasn't the only thing I could smell. It seemed that Gabrielle, Hermione, and Neville had come with Bella when she came to see Professor Dumbledore, but I couldn't focus on that right now.

I bolted along the corridor only to come to a screeching halt when I encountered a magical barrier stopping me from getting to the gargoyles that blocked the stairway to Dumbledore's office. I loudly growled my displeasure at being unable to get where I needed to go, scaring the students who were milling about in the corridor.

Why? Why would Dumbledore stop me from getting to his office? From getting to Bella?

Instead of waiting in that corridor to find out, I bolted back down the corridor toward the stairs, down the Grand Staircase, and out through the doors. I was out on the grounds before I knew it and circling around to the side of the castle where Dumbledore's tower was. But before I could start my climb up, I was grabbed by hands that belonged to people I hadn't heard approaching because I was so focused on getting to where Bella had been going last.

I fought. I fought them with everything I had, but considering there were two of them and I wasn't focused, Emmett and Jasper had me pinned before I could do anything about it.

"What are you doing?" I roared at them, still struggling to get free.

"You need to be calm, Edward," Jasper said, grunting with exertion and spreading his power around. "Please calm."

"I don't want to!" I growled. "I need to get to Bella. She's missing!"

Emmett finally managed to wrench my hands behind my back into a position where I couldn't get any leverage. "We know!" he insisted. "Harry sent Kreacher to us when he realized that both Hermione and Neville were gone as well."

"And Fleur told us that she was unable to locate Gabrielle when we found them at the doors to the Entrance Hall. Neville was smart though, Edward. Apparently, he left the note he received from Dumbledore in the library, and that helped Fleur, Viktor, and Harry figure out what your mind has yet to put together," Jasper said, releasing my shoulders because he could feel his gift working.

Well, he thought it was working. I was letting it work, trying to find my advantage. "Yeah, and what's that?"

Jasper looked me in the eyes before reciting. "_Come seek us where our voices sound. We cannot sing above the ground. And while you're searching, ponder this: We've taken what you'll sorely miss_. Think about it, Edward."

"No." I breathed. "No!" I growled. "She's not there. They haven't taken her! She's not going to be at the bottom of the lake!"

I managed to throw Emmett off me and made a beeline for the Black Lake. I was not going to let Bella be down there for a moment longer than necessary. There was no way she was being taken from me. Not a chance in hell.

"Stop him!" Jasper yelled from behind me.

"How?" Emmett yelled back. "He's faster than we are!"

There was no way Jasper and Emmett were going to catch me. I was faster than they were, but I hadn't factored in Alice. She had obviously had a vision of this very thing, so she and the rest of the family were waiting at the edge of the Black Lake for me. Because Alice was using her visions, she was able to predict every move I made and had a family member there to stop me.

When I couldn't get past, I dropped to my knees in front of them. "They have Bella, Alice. I can't leave her down there. She shouldn't be a part of this."

"I know, Edward. But this is part of the tournament. This needs to play out so that the other vision I had, the one of you being hit by the killing curse, can play out. We need to know what happens."

"Why? What have you seen?" I demanded, my head snapping up to look her square in the eyes.

"Just that if you go searching for her now, you'll be disqualified from the tournament, and you'll not be in that vision. You have to be there—that's all I know." Alice wrapped her arm around my shoulders as my chin dropped to my chest. "Now you need to go back to Gryffindor Tower, change into your swimming costume, and come back here to pace. Because there is nowhere else you are going to be until tomorrow morning. Emmett and Jasper will go with you."

I nodded, standing and giving the Black Lake one last look as I turned and made my way back toward the castle. I would save Bella, and whoever took her from me would pay.

~*~UHS~*~

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**Hmm ... sticky predicament. What say you?**

**See you in a fortnight.**


	17. Chapter Sixteen - The Second Task

**Hi everyone. I hope you all have had a good fortnight. It's been a long one for me. The heat has started coming down under and I'm struggling to find time to write when I'm so exhausted all day from working in the heat with the kids. But ... I'm still working on it - the balance, and the next story. It's just not coming along as fast as I'd like.**

**My love for my pre-reader and beta knows no bounds. I would be absolutely lost without them because they - and you guys - keep me going when I think I'm too tired. Thank you, Pienuniek and Sally, for all that you do.  
**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belongs to Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'll let you get to it ... see me at the bottom.**

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**Chapter Sixteen ~ The Second Task**

By the time the sun started to rise, I had carved a forty-foot groove along the edge of the Black Lake from my pacing. I thought I might go through the five stages of grieving, but I had stalled on anger.

My family had foiled every attempt I had made to get to Bella. Whether she was at the bottom of the lake right this minute or not, didn't matter. I wanted, no needed, to get to her. To bring her back to me. To hold her.

I was furious. With Dumbledore, with my family, with myself.

I should have been there. I should have walked with her to Dumbledore's office. If I had been there, Bella wouldn't be missing now because I would have been able to stop her from disappearing in the first place.

"You don't know that, Edward," Alice spoke from her perch next to the groove I was creating.

The rest of the family had gone over to the edge of the lake to watch the few witches and wizards who had come to build the stage for today's performance.

I growled. "Of course, I do. Bella is always safer with me." I froze. "I thought that, didn't I?"

Alice giggled. "No. You've been mumbling out loud for some time now. I just chose to let you brood in peace. Would you have walked her to Professor Dumbledore's office even if the note only asked for her? Or knowing that Neville, Hermione, and Gabrielle were going with her?"

"I'm not brooding," I grumbled, going back to my pacing. "And yes, I probably would have."

"Does she get any time to herself?"

I threw a dirty look at Alice. "Of course, she does. We were apart when this happened, weren't we? Which is why it happened in the first place!"

"It needed to happen." Alice sighed. "She's the one _thing_ you'll sorely miss. It's why she was taken. How do you know she didn't go willingly? That Professor Dumbledore asked and she agreed?"

It was this question that snapped my carefully maintained control. I got up in Alice's face. "Because Bella would never have left me to worry like I have all night. She would have told me before agreeing to anything like this. And"—I growled long and low—"my mating bracelet wouldn't be burning my arm and lighting up like the Fourth of July if our bond wasn't being threatened. That's how I know she didn't agree to this!" I shouted the last sentence.

"Edward. Step back." Jasper growled from behind me. "Alice was asking a question. She doesn't need you taking your anger out on her."

"Yeah? Is that so? And what would you be doing if your mate had been taken?"

Jasper froze. As did Alice.

"Neither of you thought about that, did you? Huh? No. Let's just leave Edward to worry all night about his mate because his is actually missing. But he has to worry because it's all for the greater good! Even if he knows where said mate is!"

I stormed away from them, farther into the Forbidden Forest that surrounded the edge of the lake where one of the jetties had been set up this morning. They had no idea what it was like because neither of them had ever had to be apart from their mate unless they chose to do so. Neither one of them had experienced mate separation at the hand of someone else. When I realized they had gone to join the rest of the family, I went back to pacing in my groove, waiting for the rest of the student body, professors, and guests to join us.

I was thankful when Fleur joined me because she, at least, felt similar to me. Her sister was missing and at the bottom of the massive lake in front of us.

"I zee you faired az well az I did last night, Edward." Fleur sat on the rock Alice had been sitting on earlier. "My pacing iz not az noticeable."

I snorted. "It's taking all that I have not to dive into this lake right now and find her, find them. My family had to practically sit on me at some points last night."

Fleur nodded. "Madame Maxime stood outside my door. If zere had been a window, I would have joined you down here. 'As anything changed from last night?"

I shook my head and continued pacing. Fleur and I were quiet, brooding—I snorted—silently. We didn't stop as the students from the three schools made their way down to the lake and into the spectator stands. Harry and Viktor joined us when the professors and other esteemed guests, including Percy, also made their way into the stands. In fact, we all sat quietly until Professor Dumbledore joined us, with Madame Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff.

"Champions, welcome," Professor Dumbledore spoke. "I hope you have all had a good evening."

At this comment, he received four, rather loud, rather sarcastic, snorts. Mine being the loudest and followed up by a growl.

"Edward, you have created a rather large groove in the side of my lake. Why on earth have you done that?"

I froze at the far end of said groove, facing away from everyone. I could hear the surprised thoughts of Fleur, Viktor, and Harry at the gall of Dumbledore's question. I subtly flicked my arm, releasing my wand, and spun to face three of the five judges. The look on my face must have said a lot because they all took at least one step backwards.

When I started advancing on them, they took a few more steps. Once I was in front of them, I spun back to the groove I had created. I pointed my wand, and without saying the actual word, I repaired the hole in the ground.

Without spinning back to them, I spoke. "This task had better be underway very shortly." Now, I spun around to face them, my glare on full display. "And if Bella _ever_ goes missing, _ever again_, at any of your hands, there will be hell to pay."

Karkaroff opened his mouth to argue about my attitude but stopped when the three other champions stepped up beside me. Harry on my left, Fleur and Viktor on my right.

"He iz right," Fleur agreed. "Why you'd want to mess with a vampire or a Veela for a tournament iz beyond me. Zis should never have happened. We should have been prepared for zis."

"After everything that happened with Michael, why would you condone this, Headmaster?" Viktor asked of Karkaroff. Not that the blowhard had an answer.

The three of them stood there without saying a word. Not that they had a leg to stand on.

After a minute or so, Dumbledore spoke again. "How do you know Bella didn't agree to this task, to helping you?"

"Because of this!" I fumed, holding up the arm that had my mating bracelet on it. It was still lit up like a torch. "Wherever she is, it is affecting our mating bond. She's in trouble. So … I suggest you get this charade under way because you have four very upset, very irate champions on your hands."

"You all feel this way?" Dumbledore asked, only to receive nods in return. "Harry? You haven't said anything?"

Harry shrugged. "Not sure that I need to. These three have said enough, and I happen to agree with them. _Maybe_ had that clue said they'd take some_one_ that we'd surely miss, not some_thing_, we might have been more prepared. _Maybe _had you asked those taken if they wanted to help, instead of just knocking them out—or whatever you did to them—instead of kidnapping them, then we wouldn't be standing here thinking that you guys are snakes in the grass. _But_ to do what you have done"—here Harry shook his head—"is so wrong, I can't believe you didn't think about it first."

"But it has created a bond between you three, no? Building those relationships between schools?" Madame Maxime pointed out.

Fleur snorted delicately. "Had you been paying any attention to uz, instead of socializing, you would have realized that we had already formed zose bonds." _Zis just solidifies my decision to move schools. To have Gabrielle learn at a better school. Although, Professor Dumbledore waz in on zis plot._

Dumbledore held up his hands in supplication. Not that I was sure I believed it. "It seems we have gone about this task all wrong. For that, I apologize. We shall do as you all ask and get this task underway. Please, join your families on your jetty. Harry first, on the far left. Edward next, then Fleur, then Viktor. Harry, you will be joined by Professor Moody, Edward will have Professor McGonagall, while Fleur and Viktor shall have their headmaster or mistress."

Without a word, the four of us spun and walked to our respective jetty. Shane and Sirius were waiting, along with Moody, on Harry's jetty. Carlisle and Esme were waiting with Professor McGonagall for me. Since Fleur and Gabrielle had no family, and our family knew what was going on, Alice and Jasper had gone to meet Fleur on her jetty. Madame Maxime was surprised but didn't say a word to them when Fleur reached out to hold their hands.

But the biggest surprise was who was standing there for Viktor. At least, a surprise for Karkaroff. He froze at the end of the jetty.

"Viktor, my man!" Emmett bellowed, causing laughter to drift out over the lake. "How's it hanging?"

Rose shook her head, smiling indulgently as Viktor and Emmett did some sort of "bro" handshake. Things got more interesting when Rose greeted Viktor with a hug.

Emmett spotted Karkaroff at the end of the jetty. He waved him forward. "Come on, Karkaroff! Surely, Dumbledore explained to you that we don't bite!" I couldn't help but let out a chuckle when Emmett smiled widely at the Durmstrang headmaster. "You know, you should really look into changing your name. Because if you had a student who stuttered, you'd be Headmaster Ka-ka-ka-karkaroff. You'd be a headmaster named after poop!"

Karkaroff's face flamed with indignation as every student within hearing distance burst into raucous laughter, including Viktor, who was standing with a Rosalie who wanted to be mad but couldn't quite pull it off.

Emmett started wandering down the jetty, causing Karkaroff to take a few hesitant steps backwards. "Oh, no you don't," Emmett warned as he sped to Karkaroff. Emmett wrapped his arm around his shoulders and started pulling the flinching headmaster toward Viktor. "You need to be here for your student. You need to show him you're strong and supportive. All things a _good_ headmaster should be. You want to be that for him, right?"

Ludo Bagman's voice booming out across the Black Lake saved Karkaroff from answering Emmett's question. "Welcome, welcome students, professors, judges, and esteemed guests to the second task in the Triwizard Tournament!"

The crowd went absolutely crazy. I frowned, crossing my arms, while glaring down at the water. I could see the Grindylows out in the shallows and seaweed. They were glaring back at me but also showing fear. I could see the recognition on their faces. They knew what I was and were probably some that I had encountered in Lupin's final last year.

Esme and Carlisle, sensing my anger, both placed a hand on my shoulders. Esme leaned around my arm to look at me. "She'll be fine, Edward. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would not put them in danger."

I grunted in disagreement because I wasn't so sure.

"What do you mean, Esme? Put who in danger?" Professor McGonagall asked. She hadn't heard anything to be worried about.

Esme turned around and started explaining to Professor McGonagall what we had figured out yesterday afternoon while Bagman continued to introduce the task at hand.

"Our champions are standing on the side of the lake, each on their own jetty. Their points, after the first task, stand as: Harry Potter has a score of forty points." Bagman had to pause because Harry had thrown his hands in the air causing the crowd to go nuts. "Edward Masen has a score of thirty-eight." I decided that I was going to follow Harry's lead; why not make the most of it. I'd rescue Bella. "Fleur Delacour has a score of forty-two!"

Fleur smirked in my direction as she did the same. _We are in this together, Edward. Let's milk it for all it's worth._

I laughed at her reasoning.

"And lastly, Viktor Krum with a score of thirty-six points!" Viktor didn't get a chance to raise his arms because Emmett and Rose did it for him as soon as his name was mentioned, which caused the rest of us to laugh at his embarrassment.

As Bagman read out the scores, a giant scoreboard lit up with those very scores.

"Now, for this task, something important has been taken from our champions. Their job is to wade into this very large lake and find it."

At the mention of the item taken from me, I snarled loud enough that Bagman had to pause, and every single eye looked in my direction.

I could hear the nervous voices wonder why I was snarling at the mention of the item taken, and as I looked through the thoughts of Luna, Ginny, and a few of our other friends, like the twins Fred and George, they realized that some people were missing. Especially Bella. Our friends were smart. It didn't take them long to put it all together. And they were abruptly horrified because they knew Bella wouldn't have gone willingly, without—at least—telling me.

Ludo Bagman continued. "This task will be worth fifty points, and they have an hour to find what they are looking for. If they return after that hour, they'll receive no points. On the count of three, Mr. Filch. One … Two …"

The canon went off before Bagman could reach three. Harry had already swallowed the gillyweed, so Fleur and I pointed our wands at our faces and cast the bubblehead charm—Bulla Capitis. With the casting of the spell, a bubble formed around the lower halves of our faces. It covered our noses, mouths, and wrapped around the lower halves of our necks, giving us plenty of air to breathe.

At the same time that Fleur and I cast our bubblehead charm, Viktor cast his spell to, at least partially, transfigure himself into a shark. And once that was done, we all dove into the water at the same time.

The level of noise above had been near deafening with the screaming, the clapping, and the thumping of feet in the stands, but under the water, it was quiet, almost peaceful. I wouldn't say serene because the creatures that were waiting for us were on edge. They were jittery, anxious, and darted from one place to another as quickly as they could.

Due to my body mass, I sank farther than the other three, but I halted my progress and treaded water until Harry, Fleur, and Viktor were alongside me. After that, we started our true descent into the dark and murky waters of the Black Lake.

The four of us descended farther and farther into the water, coming across the Grindylows' territory first.

I could see their beady little yellow eyes peeking out at me—and Harry, who was swimming right along me—between the seaweed that surrounded their homes. Because these Grindylows recognized me, they stayed where they were and avoided engaging with me. Viktor and Fleur, however, seemed to be fair game because the moment I passed them and into the seaweed, the Grindylows swam out to attempt to attack them.

With the suction cups on their hands and the sharp teeth in their mouths, the creatures were known to pull you in with the first one and bite down hard when they had you close enough. And that was what they attempted to do, first to Viktor, and then to Fleur, as their hands entered the seaweed. One of the Grindylow reached out and suctioned their hand to Fleur's arm and tried to pull her in. Fleur's scream was ear piercing in the water, calling all of our attention to her.

Harry and I both spun to see that Viktor was valiantly trying to fight the hold the Grindylow had on Fleur by attempting to pull her back into the open water, but he wasn't having much luck as one after another Grindylow reached out for Fleur's arm and tried to pull them both in toward their home. Instead of waiting to see if Viktor would succeed in saving Fleur, Harry and I both swam forward to help. Harry went straight for Viktor to aid in pulling Fleur's other arm while I swam for the arm the Grindylow had a hold of. Once there, I reached forward and pulled her arm toward me, yanking several of the green water demons out of their safe hiding spot in the seaweed.

When they saw what was happening—or should I say, who was succeeding against them—they all froze with their mouths wide open, displaying their sharp, ugly teeth. In that moment of stillness, I let loose a growl that would have rivalled any I had released to date. It seemed to echo in the water yet be muffled at the same time. But the one thing that it did do was startle the Grindylow, causing them to let go of Fleur's arm before they darted back into the seaweed to hide.

Fleur looked up at me gratefully. "Thank you, Edward, everyone. I'm not sure what would have happened if you guys didn't help me."

"We're all in this together." I squeezed Fleur's arm that I still had a hold of. "We should get goin …"

I was interrupted by a screech. A sound that drowned out everything else.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

Fleur was just about to answer when another person did it for her.

"EDWARD!" Bella's voice rang out from somewhere deep within the Black Lake.

"That iz a Veela, struggling to maintain her siren powers. We need to get to her now, Edward." Fleur reached for my arm this time. "She will fight because that's who she is, but she will struggle to put that side of her back in the box, if we don't get to her soon."

"Right." Instead of waiting for the others, I swam off. Using my vampire speed, I was able to power through the water with little to no issues.

I was grateful for the fact that I was a vampire because the farther down into the lake I travelled, the darker it became. For an average human, this place would have been too dark to see. I was worried about how Harry and Viktor would fare with the blackness.

The lake was full of plants, and it was murky from the silt that was stirring up from my movement through the water. I could sense all sorts of water creatures in the lake around me, but not one of them made a move to confront me.

"How dare you?" Bella's voice rang out again from somewhere in front of me. "I would never have agreed to this if I had been asked! The fact that you … you … creatures decided to kidnap me on the orders of our headmaster and used me for this task is completely despicable."

Thanks to the fact that we were underwater, I couldn't smell where Bella was located, but because she had awoken—or whatever they had done to her and the others—I was able to follow her voice, right down into the very depths of the lake.

I reached the bottom, stirring up even more silt, but I plowed on into the extremely tall fresh water plants that were in front of me. It only took me a few seconds to explode out the other side, but what I saw there took my breath away and pulled me up short. There, in the middle of the Black Lake, was a town built completely out of stone. I could see all sorts of buildings, in all shapes and sizes, but what held my attention was the extra large mermaid statue in the town center.

Because tied to the tail of that statue was Bella, Hermione, Neville, and Gabrielle.

While the other three were still unconscious from whatever spell had been placed over them, Bella was berating what seemed to be a group of merpeople. They weren't the pretty creatures that were depicted in movies, stories, and pictures throughout history; they were actually kind of ugly. They had the tail fin that all merpeople have, but their bodies, faces, and arms were much more fish like. They were green tinged, had sharp pointy teeth in their mouths, and had tentacles for hair. Their eyes were bright yellow and oval shaped. And they didn't wear the required bathing suits to cover the other parts of their bodies.

"This is entirely ridiculous. I don't care what the rules for the tournament are. I need to get out of here!" Bella growled, sounding more creature like than she ever had before. She was struggling with maintaining her siren powers. "I don't want this!" That wasn't said with a growl, or a demand, or even with urging. That four-word sentence was said with a sob.

I could see that Bella was struggling. I had to help. I had to save my girl.

"Bella!" I shouted with a growl just as Harry, Fleur, and Viktor finally caught up to me.

Bella's head swiveled in my direction. "Edward," she cried before bursting into sobs. "Help me. I don't want to be this."

I could see the changes that were happening to my Bella. I could see that her siren side was becoming more pronounced with every second she was using those powers to stay alive underwater. Her hair was developing silver streaks; in fact, I could see them as they started to change from the top of her head to the ends of her flowing hair. And her body had developed the same iridescent glow the Veela had at the World Cup. If I didn't get her out of here soon, she might start turning into the other type—the ugly bird-like Veela—especially if she kept arguing with the merpeople.

"It's okay, my sweet girl," I comforted as I swam toward her. Bella reached for me just as I got to her. "Calm, baby. We'll get you out of this."

I extended my arm, releasing my wand and pointed it at the string of seaweed wrapped around her ankle. "Reducto," I said clearly, breaking the bond that was keeping her attached to the mermaid tail.

As the others made it to the person who was taken from them, I gripped Bella as tight as I dared and swam for the surface. Viktor had reached Hermione, Fleur had Gabrielle, and Neville had been placed here in the lake for Harry as I plowed my way into the plants surrounding the city square. I didn't hang around to wait for the others to release their hostages.

I had a bone to pick with Dumbledore, and I wasn't going to be the only one.

Bella was quiet as I swam for the surface. I could feel the tension in her body, but the farther I swam away from the merpeople and closer to the top of the lake, the more she relaxed. Some of the silver started to slowly retreat from the ends of her hair, and her glow dimmed back to normal. I could, however, feel the grip she had on my swimming costume and the shaking her body was doing to repress the sobs she wanted to let out. I could tell that tonight was going to be a very long night for her because what she had been forced to do at the bottom of the lake to survive was her absolute worst nightmare.

And she'd had absolutely no choice because someone else had forced her into that position.

When we broke through the surface of the lake, Bella let out a wail before breaking into a sob. Then all of a sudden, she seemed to collapse in my arms as her head dropped backwards and her body went limp. I could see Esme and Carlisle on the dock, down on their knees, reaching out for the both of us. Both of them were worried. But I could also see the fury in their eyes when they realized that Bella had become unconscious. Professor McGonagall was standing behind them, frozen at the sight before her, and thoroughly concerned about Bella in my arms.

"Come on, Edward. Bring her over. Let's get her wrapped up in a blanket, and I can check her over," Carlisle called.

"Edward Masen is the first to surface!" Ludo Bagman called out when the spectators watching seemed to falter in their cheering. He was trying to bring back the fun, lively atmosphere they had before Bella's wail rent the air. "And he has his something taken from him! Isabella Swan, everybody!"

I looked over to see that Ginny, the twins, and Luna all had their hands over their mouths, the girls with tears in their eyes as they looked at Bella. While not everyone around them was celebrating a successful second task, most of them seemed to be. But the rest of the spectators were worried about what had happened at the bottom of the lake. Our friends especially. Whether they knew something bad had happened or not.

Esme reached down and grabbed one of Bella's arms while Carlisle lifted Bella on the other side. Esme had spread out a blanket, which was where they placed her, before they wrapped her up tight.

"What happened, Edward?" Esme asked as she pulled Bella into her arms, making it hard for Carlisle to check on her.

I pulled myself onto the dock as I answered. "Whatever spell or potion they used on her didn't last. She was awake before I even reached the bottom of the lake, and that meant she had to use her siren powers to keep herself alive."

"Dear God," Carlisle whispered, knowing that his little girl never wanted to use those. "Quickly, Esme, place her back down. Let me get a look at her." Carlisle pulled the blanket back, and that was when I noticed her beautiful hair, which had been a stunning mahogany color, was still streaked by the luminescent blonde of a full-blooded Veela. This task had left a permanent reminder of what we had been through. And as if that weren't enough, our mating bracelets were still lit up. They weren't as warm as they were before, but they were glowing.

Madam Pomfrey raced down the dock, holding more blankets, wrapping one around my shoulders, as Ludo called out again. "And the others have returned! All have rescued their something taken from them. It seems that Viktor Krum has Hermione Granger, Fleur Delacour has rescued her little sister Gabrielle, and Harry Potter helped his friend Neville Longbottom! What a close task this one has been!"

"Edward!" Fleur yelled from her dock next to me. "You must hold her! You must connect with her. Do not let go!"

I nodded, taking Fleur's word as law, and scooped Bella back into my arms. Professor McGonagall waved her wand, finally taking a step in our direction, and produced some more blankets to wrap around us.

"Do not worry, Mr. Masen. I will be talking to Professor Dumbledore and the other judges." Professor McGonagall bobbed down to look me in the eye. "You keep a hold of her, and do not let her go. I will also give you, and the other champions, time to confront them again when you are not stretched for time. This task should have been handled more carefully." McGonagall ran her hand down Bella's hair. "Especially when her safety and yours was in question."

"Oh! It seems that the merpeople's king wants to have a word with Professor Dumbledore before the judges get together to discuss the scores for this round," Ludo called out over the noise that was still being made. Even though many could see that Bella was still out cold.

Instead of waiting on their own docks, Fleur, Gabrielle, Viktor, Hermione, Harry, Neville, and the rest of our family all came to stand on mine. They wanted to be there for me and Bella. To lend us their strength and to show unity.

We all watched silently as Dumbledore, Ludo, and Percy made their way down from the top of the stands to the edge of the lake, Dumbledore in the lead, and Karkaroff and Maxime walked over to where the mer-king was waiting. I could see the head of one of the merpeople sticking out of the lake; this one with a crown on his head. As Ludo said, he seemed to be the king, and from what I could see of his face, he wasn't very happy.

I snorted. He could join the very long list of people who were unhappy with the way this task had been handled.

As we were standing there waiting for the judges to finish making their decision, I felt the jetty shift with the amount of weight on it. Emmett also felt it shift and looked to me. _We need to get off. Now._

I nodded to Emmett, wrapped Bella up in all the blankets that were around us, picked her up, and then strode toward the end of the dock. Emmett pulled on Rose's hand, who then grabbed Viktor's. As each of them walked with me, they grabbed the hand of the next in line. Viktor grabbed Hermione's, who grabbed Harry's, who then grabbed Fleur's, and so on and so on, until everyone was standing at the end of the dock with me. When the last person set foot on solid ground, the dock broke away from the edge of the lake and began to float toward the middle.

"It seems the judges have finally made their decision!" Lee Jordan's voice rang out over the lake and the noise, bringing all the conversations to a stop. "Let's just run back over the previous scores. Harry Potter has a score of forty. Edward Masen has a score of thirty-eight. Fleur Delacour has a score of forty-two, and Viktor Krum has thirty-six points. Now, as the points are given, the scoreboard will add the two together, showing us the points each champion will have going into the final task."

Lee paused to see if the judges were ready. "Ludo, what have the judges got to say?"

Ludo gave his celebrity smile while lifting his wand to his throat. "It was a very close competition today. All of the champions did a fabulous job. But we do have some that stand out more than the rest. They will be scored out of fifty points; let's see how they have done. First up: Fleur Delacour."

Fleur stepped to the edge of the lake, tightly holding onto Gabrielle's hand, and waved to the spectators.

"Fleur, you decided to use the Bubblehead Charm to help you breathe underwater for the hour that you were going to be down in the lake. From our sources, we are told that you had excellent success with the charm. It worked how it was supposed to. You did have a rather intense interaction with the Grindylow, and thanks to your _competitors_"—Ludo leaned on the word competitors like it was meant to make us work harder against each other—"you were able to move on and find your sister, Gabrielle, who was hidden from you, all within the allotted time frame."

There were hisses released from the spectators when that little bit of information was let out. I tuned into the thoughts of the students who were now wondering if those in the lake had had a choice, or if they were taken against their will. What pleased me was those thoughts then followed along the vein to wondering if we had known they were going to be taken; if the champions had had any forewarning. Some were even looking at my reaction from when the task was introduced and realizing that, no, we had no idea what, or who, was to be taken from us.

I heard Ludo's thoughts falter when the hisses and whispered conversations started up, but he spoke above the noise, trying to bring back the excitement that had been there just a short while ago. "With that, the judges have given you a score of twenty-nine points for this second task, giving you a total of seventy-one going into the final task!"

Fleur stepped back from the edge of the lake with fierce applause following her. She looked at Bella, then at me. _I no longer care for ze tournament, Edward. I just want to make sure my family makes it through unscathed, including you._

"I know, Fleur." I looked down at Bella, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. "Me too."

"Next up, Viktor Krum!" Instead of waving at the crowd, Viktor just stood glaring at the judges. He, too, did not care what the judges had to say. He was over it and ready to go back to quidditch. "Viktor, you used an incomplete transfiguration spell, making your head transform into part of a shark, giving you gills to breathe under water for the hour that you needed to be under. You were able to help save Fleur from the Grindylow and retrieve your _borrowed_ someone, Hermione Granger, from the bottom of the lake before the hour ran out.

"The judges gave you a score of thirty-five points for this second task, which also gives you a total score of seventy-one going into the third task!"

Viktor shook his head at the cheers that rang out from the stands. He couldn't believe after everything we had gone through, everything they have seen, that they could still be as excited for what was to come. _Ridiculous, _he thought._ Can they not tell what this is doing to us, to our loved ones?_ He looked at Bella, who was slowly starting to come around.

"They don't care, Viktor," I whispered, catching his attention. "Getting their entertainment, getting out of classes, getting what they want is far more important."

_Like when they see me play?_

I nodded. "Exactly."

"Edward Masen, if you please?" I stepped to the edge of the lake. My human façade was nowhere to be seen. I was still pissed, and everyone could see it. "Now we all know that as a vampire, Edward has some formidable gifts in his arsenal. He could have left his fellow competitors far behind. However, our sources tell us that he did not. In fact, he cast the Bubblehead Charm and stayed with the others to help when he could." Here Ludo snorted. "He scared the living daylights out of the Grindylow when he growled at them to let go of Fleur Delacour. How many of you could say you would have done the same thing? He retrieved his mate from the bottom of the Black Lake within the hour and was the first one back to the surface!

"For these reasons, the judges have seen fit to award you forty-seven points! When we add that to your first task score, that gives you a total of eighty-five points heading into the third task!"

Everyone went absolutely nuts. Mostly because I was so far out in front, but the only voice that mattered was the quiet whisper-soft thoughts that floated through my head as I stepped back into the comfort and safety of our family.

_Did we win?_ Bella asked without even opening her eyes.

"Oh, Bella." I pulled her to me, kissing her everywhere I could reach, leaving a scorching one on her mouth. "I was so worried."

_Me too. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to come back. But you didn't answer me. Was it worth it? Did we win?_

I kissed her again as our family and friends turned to see her. To see for themselves that she was okay. "We're about to find out," I said as I sat but still held her close to my chest.

"And the final champion, Harry Potter!" Ludo called out. "Harry Potter!" He called again when Harry didn't immediately step away.

Harry looked at me, asking me silently if he should go. I nodded. We had to see this through.

The cheering rent the air when Harry stepped to the edge of the lake and raised both hands in the air. He was giving them what they wanted, but he wasn't happy about it.

Ludo's voice sounded again. "Now, Harry here didn't go for a spell or a charm. No, he used something much different. One that gave him a distinct advantage over his competitors because it changed his physique. It helped him to grow fins and gills to help him breathe under water and to power through it, without issue. He used Gillyweed, ladies and gentlemen, and to great effect according to our sources.

"Out of fifty, the judges have decided to award Harry forty-five points, bringing him to a total of eighty-five! That means Edward and Harry are in a draw for first place going into the final task!" Ludo shouted, creating as much excitement for what was coming as possible.

_I would have preferred that we were winning, but I can live with that._ Bella whispered even in her thoughts. _I didn't know, Edward. I promise. I never would have agreed …_

"Shhh, baby girl. I know. I know you wouldn't have. You respect our bond too much to put it in danger like that. I love you, Bella."

_I love you, too, Edward. _Bella pulled me down into another kiss.

"One last thing before you all leave the stands for the day." Ludo captured the attention of everyone who was preparing to leave. "The final task will be held on the 24th of June. It will be a surprise for everyone, except for the champions, who will be notified a month beforehand what it is to be and what will be expected of them. Thank you, everyone, and have a good day!"

I continued to hold Bella close as our family stood guard while the stands emptied of students and teachers alike. Professors Moody and McGonagall followed those making their way back toward the castle. Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, Shane, and Jacob also went along when they felt it safe to do so because the families were being given a morning tea before they left for the day. And Madam Pomfrey ran off to get the hospital wing ready for Bella and the rest of us. We all knew she'd have to stay there for a while. Carlisle and Esme were going to accompany me there when I decided that I could finally move with my girl.

Fleur and Gabrielle were talking quietly to Harry and Neville, but it was Viktor who caught my attention, and Bella could tell.

Bella frowned, finally opening her eyes and looking at me. _What?_ I nodded over to the side where Viktor had pulled Hermione carefully. _Oh, now that is interesting._

"Hermione, I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

"Of course, Viktor, anything. You know that."

"What would you think about visiting me in Bulgaria during your summer break?" Viktor reached out to push a curl of Hermione's hair behind her left ear when he spotted something.

It was at the same time that the infamous buzzing I associated with Rita Skeeter's bug form filtered in on that same obscure frequency.

"Viktor?" Hermione asked when she noticed he had paused.

Viktor looked at Hermione meaningfully while talking to me silently. _Edward, we need a jar. Something we can seal. _He looked at me from the corner of his eye, so I nodded imperceptibly.

"Kreacher?" I called quietly. "Bella, I need you to sit here for a minute, please?" Bella nodded as Kreacher popped in front of me. "We need a jar, something with a lid, hurry."

Kreacher nodded, clicked his fingers, and then handed me the jar he had pulled from somewhere. "Here, Master Edward. Will this do?"

"Perfect. Thank you."

During this short space of time, Viktor and Hermione had managed to keep up an inane conversation, interesting enough to keep Rita's attention, while I snuck up behind Hermione. Once I was in range, I reached around behind the—what I now could identify as a ladybug—and placed the jar where Viktor could get the bug into the jar. It took a few more minutes of conversation, but once the ladybug turned a certain direction, Viktor was able to flick it just so that Rita never saw it coming. By the time she realized she had been moved, she was in the jar with the lid already closed on top.

Ginny, who had come up behind me, flicked her wand a couple of times as she said a few different spells to not only seal the jar but to make sure that our buggy friend had food and could get some air.

I spun the jar around as I checked the seal, then smirked down at Rita Skeeter. The buzzing had reached an all-time high in her panic because the more I spoke, the more agitated she became. Rita fluttered around in her jar, the buzzing of her thoughts reaching fever pitch. I snorted. "Well now, it seems we've found you. Guess you won't be writing any sensationalist crap from your so-called scoops, will you? Don't worry, Rita, we'll take good care of you."

"Uh … I have a question," Neville started, raising his hand a little, which caused us to laugh. "How are you going to stop her from changing back into her human form and breaking the glass jar?"

I smirked but looked to Ginny to answer—she was the one who cast the spells after all.

Ginny blushed. "Um, after we talked about trapping her, when we'd figured out what she was, I looked into ways to make sure she couldn't escape. Obviously, one of those was a growing spell, to make sure that she will always have food without us having to open the jar. Another one was to seal the jar so we can't open it and to put holes in the top so she can continue to breathe. But the most important spell I used was one that I found, which will prevent her from changing out of her animagus form." Ginny bent over to look into the jar I continued to hold. "She will now and forever be a ladybug. That is unless we decide to let her out."

There were scattered laughs at Ginny's words, but it was Bella's still sluggish thoughts that caught my attention. I handed the jar over to Esme because I knew she would take it home and keep it safe in the potions room.

I picked Bella up and looked over at Carlisle. He nodded at me before he spoke. "All right, everyone who was in the lake—vampire and Veela alike—I want you all to head to the hospital wing. You've been out here in the cold long enough. Madam Pomfrey and I are going to check you all over."

Bella slowly wrapped her arms around my neck and looked up at me through sleepy eyes as I started my trek toward the castle. _I love you, Edward. Thank you._

I frowned. "What are you thanking me for?"

_For getting to me before I completely lost myself. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to come back to you._

"I will always come for you, Bella. No matter where you are, I will always, always find you."

_I know._ Bella relaxed in my arms as I followed Carlisle through the ornate castle doors and to the fourth floor where the hospital wing was located.

Carlisle knocked before he opened the door, guiding all eight of us in, as well as Esme and Ginny. "Madam Pomfrey, I've rounded up all the champions and their partners. Where would you like them?"

"Oh! Good, good. Mr. Masen, please place Miss Swan in this bed, and you can take the one next to her." Madam Pomfrey pointed to the end beds on the left-hand side. Then she guided the others to the beds around the wing. She bustled out of the wing, into her office, only to return just as quickly. When she returned, she flicked her wand in my direction, which made my bed maneuver itself into position right next to Bella's. "Mr. Masen, since the incident in this very hospital your first year, I have been doing research into mates and mating bonds."

I looked up in surprise. I hadn't thought to read her thoughts when we entered the hospital wing, too wrapped up in Bella.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Let's just say that my interest has been piqued as of late. Anyway, I noticed your bracelet glowing at the lake—even after you and Miss Swan were out of the lake—and even now, it's still alight. Did Miss Swan stay asleep in the lake?"

With that question, I looked back at my girl, shaking my head in the process. "She was awake not long after we entered the water. She was arguing with the mer-chieftan when I made it to where they were restrained."

"Your bond was threatened because she had to use powers she never wanted to use. Because of that, your bond will take time to recover, but I can help with that. I want you to drink this potion and hold onto Miss Swan's hand. When she reawakens, we'll give her the same potion, and you can cuddle. That will repair your bond." Madam Pomfrey handed over what she was mentally calling "Bond Repair" before she huffed. "What was done was not right. Not to either of you, or any of you. But it was worse to the both of you. Although, I'm not sure they knew what would happen."

"Zat is really no excuse. Zey have had zis planned all year. Research should have been done," Fleur interrupted.

Carlisle stood in the middle of the beds. "And you're right. But this isn't the time or the place to discuss this. For now, let Madam Pomfrey and I check you over."

~*~UHS~*~

By the following morning, the others had been released from the hospital wing while Bella and I were still recovering. She had woken briefly the night before to have the bonding potion Madam Pomfrey had suggested, a small dinner, and to crawl into my lap.

"Good morning," Madam Pomfrey whispered when she walked through the doors. "How are you two this morning?"

I held up my wrist. "It seems we're back to normal. The glowing has finally subsided from our bracelets, and Bella is much more relaxed in sleep."

Madam Pomfrey's gaze strayed to the curtained off area at the back of the school before she murmured, "That's wonderful." She snapped out of the longing gaze and looked toward us. "Once Miss Swan is awake, you may go down for breakfast. I will be writing a report to Professor Dumbledore in regards to what has happened during this task."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey, for all of your help," Bella said from my lap. "I also plan to have a word with him and the other judges about what happened over the last two days. It's needed if they plan to continue on with this competition in the future."

"You're welcome." Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Time to head down for breakfast."

Bella and I stood from the bed, waving to Madam Pomfrey as we made our way through the door. _Did everyone else make out okay? No colds or anything?_

"Everyone else is fine." I snickered. "Madam Pomfrey forced Pepper Up potions down their throats and wrapped them all up in blankets. Viktor and Fleur were able to leave early last night while the others left early this morning. We were all more worried about you." I pulled Bella into my side as we walked down the corridor.

"Was it really that bad? I mean, I know I had to use my siren powers, but was I that bad?"

"No, yes …" I sighed. "You were so out of it, love. The use of your siren powers took it out of you." I fingered her hair, pulling some into her line of sight to show that the streaks that had grown into her hair from her siren powers were still there. "While you're awake now, you didn't fully return to normal. The use of your powers has left a lingering effect."

"Does it bother you?" Bella wouldn't look at me when she asked.

I gently pulled us to a stop and knelt down in front of her. When she turned her face to avoid looking me in the eyes, I reached out with my finger to pull her face back toward me. I waited until she opened her eyes so she could see that I was sincere. "Whether you color your hair, change it, or keep it exactly the same, you will always be the most beautiful person to me."

"You really mean that?" Bella's eyes shimmered with tears.

"Of course." I kissed her softly. "Nothing will ever change my love for you, except to make it stronger."

_Thank you, Edward,_ Bella thought as she leaned in and kissed me. It was filled with so much passion, more than I had felt from her before. And in the back of my mind, I wondered when that passion would explode between us. When she pulled back, she thought while running her fingers through her hair. _Even though you'll love me always, I hate this. I could never understand why my mother continuously brushed her silver locks after Dad was gone. Her hair just reminded me of that, and I hate to see them in amongst my own hair._

"I know they bring negative thoughts. But just remember that things can change, okay?"

"Okay." Bella looped her arm through mine, and we finished our walk to the hall. But the relaxed atmosphere between us changed when we walked through the doors. I hadn't been paying attention to the thoughts swirling around and, as such, had missed that most people knew Bella was being released from the hospital wing. So, when the doors opened to let us into the Great Hall, a lot of people stopped to look, only to openly gape at the changes in Bella.

Bella tensed ever so slightly but held her head high and walked toward the end of the Gryffindor table where everyone had taken a seat. Including Viktor, Fleur, and Gabrielle. But the farther into the hall we walked, the tenser Bella became. Because after we walked by, people started to whisper, and thanks to our hearing, we heard every single word of speculation.

The Slytherins were the worst, of course, but many of the students had their own theories about why Bella's hair had changed because they had superficial knowledge of Veela. I shook my head. It seemed that some of our classmates had done some very minor research and stopped at what they thought they knew.

The most disturbing of the whispers came from the older students. They thought Bella and I had taken our relationship to the next level in the time Bella had been recovering, that we'd had sex. I couldn't even fathom that because Bella was fourteen years old. To me, that was wrong on so many levels. Because Bella's hair had the silver streaks, they thought I had unlocked her Veela powers, making Bella more like Fleur. So the older students also wondered if she was going to be going to Beauxbatons next year.

At least, Bella couldn't hear the most disturbing of thoughts. Even with all the demonstrations regarding our bond, the older girls were beginning to wonder if it was strong enough to withstand not only Bella turning into a full-blooded Veela but the separation we were about to face with her potentially heading to Beauxbatons.

Our friends were waiting for us with beaming smiles. Happy that Bella had recovered, even though I could still feel the tenseness in her body. I thought we were going to make it through breakfast without someone saying—or doing—something stupid. But in the end, it wasn't a student but the hint of a smug smile on Professor Dumbledore's face when he looked at Bella that caused the thread to snap.

"What are you so happy about?" Bella almost shouted, catching the attention of everyone. Those who had been whispering snapped their mouths closed, and those who had been watching silently, their mouths dropped open. But all thoughts wondered why she had the audacity to talk to Professor Dumbledore like that. "This is all your fault!" Bella looked over all of the judges before she blurted out, "All of you. I wouldn't look like this if it weren't for all of you and this asinine tournament!"

I knew Bella didn't mean it like it came out. I knew from her thoughts she loved that I was declaring my win for her, that I was proving my prowess—even though I didn't have to do it for her—but she hated, absolutely loathed, what they had done to her. What they had made her do and the streaks in her hair would be a reminder of that.

"I'm not sure I follow your meaning, Isabella," Dumbledore said, using her full name as a warning.

Bella glared, her magic coming to the surface by the way of glowing eyes and flowing hair. "You do know what I mean. Ever since learning what my mother was capable of, watching her once beautiful hair change to this … this silver …" Bella trailed off in a growl, not being able to finish her thought without insulting her cousin. "I have managed my siren side, channeling my magic into other areas, such as my connection with animals, ever since I figured out what my mother became. What I didn't want to become!"

Madame Maxime stood, thinking that her height would make what she had to say that much more important. "You should be happy we helped you unlock it. You will be a welcome addition to Beauxbatons next year."

"Happy?" Bella growled, her magic swirling, lifting her up in the air. The students around us took several steps backwards. "Does this look happy to you? And for your information, I would never go to a school that prioritizes feminine whiles over a magical education."

Bella's magic exploded from her with a scream. It pushed the large dining tables away, the dishes scattering and landing on the floor, while food was flung everywhere. The students who hadn't moved far enough away were pushed backwards—albeit gently—but still pushed. Although, I'm sure there were more than a few Bella would have wanted to push away farther. Once it had run its course, her magic lowered her back into my waiting arms. She was, once again, exhausted. Her siren powers were still simmering too close to the surface.

Fleur stepped forward and lifted her cousin's hand. "You have no idea what you have done. Not one of you tried to do any research to see how zis could affect her. I had no idea zat, as a Veela, we could focus our siren powers elsewhere. I could have kept my natural hair. Ze hair of my sister, of my cousin." Fleur kissed Bella's head, then she shook her own sadly. "I strived to be ze best version of myself zat I could be. And I know zat people make mistakes, including Professor Dumbledore. But zose comments, Madame Maxime, 'ave confirmed what I 'ave been thinking."

Fleur let go of Bella's hand and stood tall and proud in front of the three headmasters. "I will no longer be competing for Beauxbatons Academy. I will be a standalone competitor. And next year—even after everything that has happened here—my sister and I would like to join ze ranks of students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

There were shocked gasps from all around the Great Hall, the loudest coming from Madame Maxime herself.

"You cannot do zat! Tell her Professor Dumbley-dorr!" Maxime cried out above the noise that had started to rise.

"Unfortunately, there are no rules against it, Madame. But are you sure this is what you want to do, Miss Delacour?" Professor Dumbledore had stood from his seat and walked around the large teachers' table to stand in front of Fleur.

"As much as I would like to say no because of your involvement with zis whole debacle, and what you have done to my cousin, I would like some magical education."

"But this is your last year, is it not?" Professor McGonagall stepped forward, taking over from Dumbledore, who seemed to be a little stunned at Fleur's accusation.

"Yes. But considering ze education I 'ave 'ad, I would like to make sure zat it is up to par. Retaking my final year may be a good way to do just zat." Fleur looked at me. "Take Bella back to ze hospital wing. I'll handle everything 'ere and give zem an education zey won't soon forget."_ And please take Gabrielle with you._

I nodded and stood with Bella in my arms. She wasn't asleep, just groggy from the explosion of power. Much like when she had come out of the lake. "C'mon, Gabrielle. Bella will feel comforted with family around her. Anyone else wishing to come may do so."

I tracked our family and friends as I walked out of the Great Hall without looking back. Gabrielle followed. As did Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. Fred, George, Harry, and Viktor stood with Fleur. But what surprised me was the students from Beauxbatons, who had come to stand behind Fleur, were silently supporting her.

For most of them, they had no idea that they could feed their siren powers into other aspects of their lives. They had no idea, what so ever, that they could have learned proper magic instead of learning all about using what God had given them. All of them were upset.

Fleur began to pace. "For some Veela, finding one's mate iz very important, it saves us from a life of loneliness and solitude. Even if a lot of our kind never find zeir mates, zey long for it. It's why we go off ze rails when we lose zem." Fleur paused. "Do you know why I'm asking zese questions?"

The three headmasters, who were all now standing in front of the teachers' table, shook their heads silently.

"Let's try zis then. I know zat Edward showed you his mating bracelet before the second task. We were all zere. Can you figure it out now?"

Once again, the headmasters all remained quiet. I wasn't able to read Dumbledore's mind, but Maxime's and Karkaroff's were wide open. Maxime was starting to come to a horrifying conclusion, but Karkaroff was way off the mark, not that he cared to put the clues together.

"A mating bond is a sacred thing to many species. Many species zat you could have talked to before doing what you did. By placing Bella in zat lake and forcing her to use her siren powers—against her will, I might add—you forced her to become a siren. 'Ad Edward not gotten to her as fast as he 'ad and brought her to ze surface, you would have severed zeir mating bond."

More gasps rippled around the Great Hall at Fleur's words. Maxime and Dumbledore's mouths dropped open in shock. But what shocked Karkaroff more was the fact that the Durmstrang boys stood and joined the Beauxbatons' girls, and so did the three tables that Bella had pushed out of the way: the Gryffindors, the Hufflepuffs, and the Ravenclaws.

Fleur stopped pacing and faced the three who were responsible for this whole mess. "Do you know what would 'ave happened should you 'ave succeeded in severing zeir bond?"

I walked through the hospital wing door as Fleur waited for an answer. My entrance, with Bella once again in my arms and a small group of students following, caught Madam Pomfrey's attention. "Merlin's beard! What happened this time?"

Hermione explained quietly while I walked Bella over to the bed she had been occupying just a short while ago. I kissed her forehead as I laid her down.

_I'll be fine, Edward,_ Bella thought, opening her eyes slowly. _I'm tired. I need to rest, and I need to calm down._

"I know, sweet girl. I love you."

_And I you. Listen to Fleur. She must be ripping them a new one._

I chuckled and tuned back in to Fleur, just as she was answering her own question from before.

"No, you 'ave no idea. None. Because you didn't look, or ask, around. So let me tell you what would 'ave 'appened should you 'ave succeeded. If you 'ad severed zeir bond, Bella would 'ave become a siren, right zere in zat lake of yours. Edward would have felt ze loss immediately; zen not only would you 'ave 'ad a siren, but you would 'ave 'ad a vampire mourning zeir mate. Professor Whitlock, can you tell me what a vampire does while mourning a lost mate?"

Everyone's attention flew to Jasper. Some were patient while they waited, some not so much.

_Is she having fun?_ Bella asked quietly, closing her eyes.

"Oh, yeah. She's just brought Jasper into the mix."

Bella snorted quietly. _He's going a love that._

"Not as much as Emmett would have."

"Well, that depends," Jasper drawled.

"On what?" Fleur asked.

"On the vampire. Each vampire reacts differently to the loss of a mate." Jasper was having way to much fun dragging it out.

Fleur could see it, so she smirked. "Okay, Professor Whitlock, what are ze top reactions for a vampire who 'as lost his mate?"

Jasper walked along the length of the stage that the teachers' table was placed upon. "The first reaction to the loss of connection between mates is always, always a loud mournful roar. Then that vampire can go in one of two directions. He—or she—will either slip into an almost vegetative state. Or …"

"Or?" every student paying attention asked.

"Or," Jasper sighed, "the vampire in question goes on a murderous rampage until they think they have avenged their mate. And in that situation, nobody would be spared. Once a vampire goes on one of those rampages, nobody, and nothing, can stop them until they are finished."

I watched through Fleur as she looked back at some very white-faced headmasters. Even Professor Dumbledore seemed to have gone into some state of shock. From what I could read from their thoughts, not one of them had thought it could turn out like that.

"And how would Edward have reacted, Professor Whitlock?" Harry asked this time.

Jasper snorted. "He would have been the latter. For several reasons, but the most prominent ones being that his mate was taken from him and hurt in the process, and because he's only had her for a few years. The newer the mating bond, the more violent the reaction. On top of that, he knew who had taken his mate, and nothing would have stopped him from getting to the three of you." Jasper pointed at Dumbledore, Maxime, and Karkaroff. "Not even Carlisle."

Fleur nodded her thanks to Jasper. "So, no, Bella should not be happy zat you helped to unlock her powers. Bella should not be happy zat you forced her to become something she had no interest in becoming. And Edward should not have been placed in the position where he nearly lost his mate, his mind, his sanity, and his very soul."

~*~UHS~*~

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**Sooooo ... Doesn't seem like the headmasters understood the gravity of what they were doing. Do you think they understand now? See you in a fortnight!**


	18. Chapter Seventeen - Repairing the Bond

**Hi! I totally forgot that I was supposed to post this chapter until the alarm on my phone alerted me. I thought it was next week! So I think we should all be grateful for my phone, I know I am! Hope you guys have had a good fortnight.**

**Thanks go out to Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson, I'd be lost without the both of you.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to SM and JK Rowling, no copyright infringement is intended.**

**See you at the bottom.**

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**Chapter Seventeen ~ Repairing the Bond **

The girls from Beauxbatons were very supportive of Fleur's decision to leave their school, and if what I was hearing from them was real, there would be more in the future. What had happened during the tournament had given them a lot to think and talk about, so they decided what was best for them was to head back to the Beauxbatons Academy and talk about it with the other girls. The day after the second task, they left through Professor Dumbledore's fireplace.

Madame Maxime had to continue on in their absence. She was still a judge for the last task, something she was no longer relishing. She had lost the respect of her students, from some of her peers, and regardless of the fact that she hadn't talked to Hagrid much, she also knew that her stance had diminished by the way he looked at her. More often than not, she stayed within a few steps of the carriage that still resided on the grounds.

Fleur and Gabrielle were invited to move into the castle. An offer they accepted. They were staying in guest quarters located in the same tower as the Gryffindor Common Room. They weren't allowed to stay with us—even thought we had asked—because they had not been sorted into a house, and that wouldn't happen until the following year. Or else Hogwarts would have had three champions, no matter the house they were sorted into.

The next few days, after the Beauxbatons left, were quiet within the castle. The second task had been a huge shock to most of the student body. After the initial shock at knowing the "volunteers" had been kidnapped, essentially, they were undecided about whether they should enjoy the rest of the tournament.

By Saturday, we were feeling smothered by the silence that permeated the castle, so we decided to visit Hogsmeade. Well, that, and Esme had come to us the other morning and told us in no uncertain terms that we had to come to Shane and Sirius's place to be smothered in love and affection. I snorted to myself—and for Carlisle to check us over again. They were all really worried about Bella and her reaction to using her siren powers; they wanted to keep a close eye on her.

"Do you think we'll be able to get out from under Mum and Dad today?" Bella asked, walking alongside me through Hogsmeade, her arm linked with mine.

This time, I snorted out loud. "No. They're going to want to smother us and find out exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake. We're going to have to relive every moment of that day."

Bella nodded. "I can imagine that they're going to want to know how Dumbledore managed to render me unconscious."

"I want to know that too. You've been surprisingly quiet on the subject. All of you have. I haven't even managed to find anything in any of your thoughts."

"I know." Bella sighed. "I figured we'd have to talk about it with everyone, so that's why I haven't said anything." Then she frowned. "I wonder why you haven't been able to read anything from the others though. They shouldn't be able to hide them as well as I can."

Gabrielle, who had accompanied us today with Fleur to meet Carlisle and Esme, spun around because she had been listening to our conversation. "I don't remember anything. I remember walking to Professor Dumbledore's office with you, Hermione, and Neville, but after we reached that gargoyle at the bottom of his staircase, everything is blank."

"Really?" Bella asked, surprised. My eyebrows rose at this small piece of information.

"Yeah." Gabrielle nodded. "I'm sure the others will tell you the same thing. Why? Do you remember?"

For the first time in nearly four years, Bella's mind snapped shut, causing me to turn sharply in her direction. "Bella?"

The tone and volume of my voice must have caught everyone's attention because they all spun to face us.

Bella froze under the curious looks from all the misfits in front of her. She sighed but didn't open her mind. "Yes, I remember. No, I'm not going to tell you now. Can we please go and see Mum and Dad? I need a hug from Mum."

"Whatever you need, sweet girl." I looped my arm around Bella's shoulders and pulled her into my side.

For the rest of the walk, Bella was quiet and contemplative. While the others chattered around us, trying to calm Fleur and Gabrielle's nerves, Bella kept her thoughts and words to herself. She did smile and laugh when the others antics were entertaining, but otherwise, she kept to herself. I couldn't help but wonder if she were going to need some sort of counselling to help deal with what had been handed to her. I had a feeling Esme would be the best at that. Much like she had been for Molly.

Esme was the one to open the door. "Come in, everyone. Welcome, Fleur and Gabrielle!" Esme reached out to hug everyone as they walked through the door. _How is she?_ she thought to me when she reached out to me.

I pulled back and shook my head slightly, then shrugged, indicating that I had no idea.

_Isn't she talking?_

I nodded this time and followed Esme into the house. "I think she just needs her mom."

"Then that's what my girl will get."

I chuckled as Esme led the way and watched as she wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders.

For the first couple of hours, we didn't talk about the tournament at all. It helped to calm Bella and allow her to relax. She started to talk more and laugh out loud. Carlisle and Esme got to know their two new wards, Fleur and Gabrielle, and vowed to be there for Fleur for the rest of the tournament.

"Gabrielle, if you would like, you can come home with me at nighttime." Esme offered. "We can get yours and Fleur's rooms set up in the house and be ready for when Fleur comes home at the end of the school year."

Gabrielle looked up at Fleur, who was leaving the decision to Gabrielle. Fleur knew that Gabrielle would be safe at Swan Manor with our family. She also knew that Gabrielle didn't have to stay at Hogwarts full time until next year; she should be comfortable and surrounded by love and comfort.

We could all see that Gabrielle was unsure. So much so that Carlisle stepped in. "How about you take the rest of the day, or the weekend, or a week." We all chuckled at Carlisle's rambling. "If you don't want to now, that's fine. You let us know when you're ready. Esme can bring you home anytime."

"Of course, Gabrielle." Esme reached forward and patted Gabrielle on the hand. "I didn't mean to put pressure on you. Whenever you're ready."

"Thank you, Esme." Gabrielle nodded. I wasn't sure what she would decide because her thoughts were all muddled from so much support. She reminded me a lot of Hermione when she came to us, maybe minus the emotional abuse.

We lapsed into silence for a few minutes before Carlisle leaned forward with a sigh. "What happened the other day? How did Professor Dumbledore get a hold of you guys?"

"We went for one last round of training. Right, Edward? Harry?" Fleur began. She felt as guilty as the rest of us.

I frowned. Viktor should have been with all of us, but Karkaroff was having him watched closer than ever, and he hadn't been able to get out from underneath his watchful eye. "Right. I heard"—tapping the side of my head—"when Bella and the others received their letters from Dumbledore, asking them to come to his office. I didn't think any more about it."

"None of us did when Edward mentioned it. We really should have." Harry shook his head this time.

Carlisle got up to pace. "You couldn't have realized. We all trusted Dumbledore."

I could hear the admonishment in Carlisle's voice. He had considered Albus a friend, but now he wasn't so sure.

"What happened next?" Carlisle asked when he had calmed down some.

"Once we received the letters, the four of us left the library to head to Professor Dumbledore's office. Leaving Ginny to make her way back to Gryffindor Tower." Bella took up the mantle of the story. She knew what Carlisle wanted to hear. "Everything was fine until we reached the gargoyle that guards the staircase to his office. There we encountered a magical barrier. No, barrier isn't the right word because we could pass right through it. It was like a field."

I leaned forward and reached out for Bella's hand. "What did it feel like? By the time I got there, it was a barrier. I couldn't pass through it. Believe me. I tried. I was even going to scale the tower trying to get in."

Bella squeezed my hand. "Um … it felt like … oh! Like when we encountered the potions room at Swan Manor the first time. It was like a concentrated amount of magic was surrounding the doorway to the stairs."

"I remember. That's some spell, charm, or potion that they used." I kissed Bella's forehead. "Can you tell us what you remember from there?"

Bella nodded and braced herself, but just as she was to answer, Carlisle interrupted. "What do you mean, what she remembers? Don't the others remember?"

Gabrielle, Hermione, and Neville all shook their heads no. They were interested in what Bella remembered too.

Again, Bella went to answer only to be interrupted by two pops sounding outside the door. They were loud enough that everyone turned to look. Carlisle, who was still pacing, walked to the door.

"Opi, a pleasure to see you, as always." I had wondered after the Christmas confrontation if Carlisle and Opi would be able to become friendly again, but they had a long talk after I had been able to move past what had happened. That talk helped them, and Carlisle looked to Opi when he needed to talk something out. "Albus," Carlisle's voice turned cold, "you not so much."

"It's good to see you as well, Carlisle. When I found out what had happened at the Triwizard Tournament, I had to come and ask Albus myself, then I found out from a little birdy that the children were meeting you here, and I figured you'd be talking about what had happened. Have you, yet?" Opi said all in one breath. I could tell from the tenor of his thoughts and the lilt in his voice that he was furious.

"Bella was just about to tell us her version of events. We have only just begun," Carlisle said, opening the door wider. "Do you want to join us?"

I felt Bella's shield push out from around her to cover both me and herself. The tension had settled in her shoulders when Carlisle had opened the door, revealing our guests, but her shield seemed to act on its own when he invited them in.

"Everything okay, Bella?" I asked quietly, trying not to draw attention to us.

_I think so. I couldn't control it, Edward. It was an automatic reaction. It just happened._ She squeezed my hand.

"You don't trust him, and that's understandable. It's an instinctual part of you to protect yourself and your mate." I knew Carlisle and Esme could hear our conversation, Fleur too, so I was hoping it would help when we had to work out why Bella had stayed conscious—or at least partly—on the day of the second task.

Everyone in the family room crossed their arms and scowled in the direction of the front door as we waited for Carlisle, Opi, and Dumbledore to walk down the short hallway. Opi and Carlisle were still chatting while Dumbledore walked behind. The three of them froze in the opening to the room.

"It seems you do not have any fans, Albus," Opi commented, coming toward Bella and I but not being able to get any closer than two feet. "And it seems that you are no longer to be trusted. Which means that it affects all of us."

"What are you talking about?" Dumbledore looked in our direction.

"It means zat Bella does not trust you to be anywhere near her, or Edward," Fleur spoke through gritted teeth, pointing to the two of us. "Zat thanks to you, whenever you are around, none of us can get anywhere near zem."

"I'm not sure I follow." Professor Dumbledore frowned.

"Do not play daft, Albus; it does not suit you. Due to yours and the other headmasters' actions, you have irrevocably damaged the relationship with the very people you asked to come here." Opi sighed, taking a seat that was offered to him. "Is this how you ask everyone for help?"

"The Cullens were brought here because Miss Swan was the mate of Edward Masen, because Harry Potter was living among them and was due to begin school, and because Edward Masen is magical and deserved to have a magical education. They all deserved to be part of a community that would accept them for _who_ they are, not _what_ they are. I have never, not once, asked them for help." Dumbledore looked indignant.

I snorted. "Not in so many words, no. But we see the signs. We know that things will change, sooner than later, and we know that Voldemort will return. We were also brought here to lend an expertise that only we have. Please do not delude yourself into thinking that we don't know that." I shook my head. "You have changed Bella, and not for her betterment, all with your actions. That is something I can, and do, hold against you. There were other things you could have taken from us to secure our involvement. Athan, for example. I would have come for him. I would have come for a gold coin if that was the aim of the task. But you damaged the one person who I hold above all, one I vowed to protect with my life. Because of your actions, I failed."

"Edward, no!" Bella wrapped her arms around me after letting go of my hand. "I don't see it like that. How could you have known that someone we trusted would do that to us, to me?"

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her onto my lap. "I know … I know that." I pulled back and framed her face with my hands. "In my head, I understand that. But it's my heart that feels guilty, that feels that I failed. Having you here in my arms helps, but I still feel that way. Especially when there are obvious things from the task still affecting you. I love you, Bella. And it's my job to protect you." I pulled her face toward mine and kissed her as deep as I could on a closed mouth.

"Did you consider this when you captured her, or the others, Albus? Did you consider all the ramifications of your actions?" Opi asked, waving his hand in our direction, taking over while Bella cried softly in my arms. "There were a million other ways this could have been handled that didn't require kidnapping four children. The most obvious being you could have just asked them to volunteer. What say you?"

Professor Dumbledore watched Bella and me with growing trepidation. Once again, his thoughts were closed to me, but his face and stance were saying what I could not read. He was apologetic. They had not thought through everything that could have happened. And they hadn't done as much research as they possibly should have. "It seems I have much to apologize for. You have been right since before the task started, since I found all the champions at the side of the lake. I should have taken more counsel, looked into things more and not just taken Professor Moody's word for our plans. For everything I have put you all through, I am terribly sorry. Please accept my apologies."

I froze at the mention of Professor Moody. I wasn't sure that I could make a sound even if I had wanted to.

"This will take time, Professor," Bella whispered from my chest, feeling my tension. "I can only speak for myself and Edward, but we must learn to trust you again. I'm not sure how long that will take."

Similar sentiments were shared around the room before Dumbledore nodded in acceptance and left the house a little wiser and maybe a little more humble. We'd have to wait and see on that one.

Once Opi was sure that Dumbledore was gone, he turned around in his chair and looked directly at Bella. "You were just about to explain what happened during the night before the tournament?"

"Yes. We'd just explained how Professor Dumbledore had contacted us, and how when we made it to the staircase, it felt like when we found the potions room in the library at home." Bella curled into my side as she spoke.

"Dear God, what did they do?" Opi whispered to himself as he ran his hand over his face and through his hair. "What did you sense before this, Edward?"

"Not much. I followed Bella along. She was there one minute and gone the next. It caused my mating bracelet to light up, and it would have burned my skin had I been human. I panicked and tried to find her. It was a physical barrier by the time I got there."

"Thank you. Please, Bella, continue." Opi looked back at my girl.

"The others seemed to become drowsy the farther the staircase revolved up. It even started to affect me by the time we reached the top." Bella pulled in a deep breath before she continued. "Professor Dumbledore was there to greet us, along with Professor Moody. They shuffled us into a room off of Dumbledore's office where Dumbledore offered us some warm tea."

Whatever happened next seemed to be too much for Bella because she got up to start pacing. Her thoughts were jumbled, making it harder for me to read them, so I was unable to get a handle on what she was thinking. We all remained quiet, giving her the time to work through what she wanted to say.

"Instead of talking to us, Dumbledore and Moody stood on the other side of the room, talking about the tournament. The problem was that I couldn't make anything out. My hearing seemed to become clogged. I started to panic because I couldn't make my body do what I wanted it to do. The worst part was that my mind was still active even as my eyes closed." Bella's breathing picked up as she lived through the memories. She was returning to that state of panic.

I stood and rounded the couch to pull her into my arms. "It's okay, Bella. You're here, you're safe, and you're with me. It won't happen again."

Bella pulled herself close into my body, as close as she could get. "I know. But the next part was scary." Bella pulled back and looked up at me. "Edward, I remember everything. I could hear you trying to find me. I could hear you fighting to get to me! The next thing I remembered was being removed from the tower and taken somewhere wet and cold. I could feel everything, even though I felt removed. And then, everything was quiet. I felt so alone. I couldn't wake up, and I really wanted to, really tried to. I promise, Edward!"

"I know you did, baby. I know you tried your hardest." I wrapped Bella back up in my arms, standing as I did so. "I love you, Bella, and I know you did everything you could to fight what happened."

"And then … And then, I woke up …" Bella pulled in a huge breath, leaned back, and put her hands on either side of my face. "And I was in the water … strapped to the tail of a statue … surrounded by all those … those things … and having to use my powers. Then you were there, and I knew you would help me, save me, make me feel better. But now, I have a permanent reminder of what I went through. I hate it. I hate what they did to me!"

Bella dropped her head back, closed her eyes, and let out a scream that had everyone covering their ears. Her magic exploded from her, shattering a few things around the room we were sitting in. When she looked back at me, her eyes were, once again, silver and glowing.

"You need to calm down, Bella," I told her sternly. "Get your magic under control. Losing it like this doesn't help you channel it away from your siren side." I placed her back on the floor and placed my hands on her shoulders. I looked her directly in her stunning eyes before I growled at her. "You don't want to become your mother, to lose who you are, then control it. Don't let it control you."

Bella nodded as she took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. As she kept doing it, I spoke to her again. "Before we leave here today, I want you to talk to Esme about this. She was a licensed counsellor in the muggle world, and she'll be able to help you work through all these feelings. It won't take just one session, but she'll be able to see you at the castle."

"Do you think that's necessary?" Bella looked up at me earnestly.

"I do. You've had a traumatic experience. Talking through everything helps."

"Okay. I can do that."

I kissed her forehead before leading her back to the couch. "Thank you."

Esme nodded when I looked in her direction. _Of course, Edward. You don't even need to ask._

It was at this point that Carlisle's thoughts caught my attention. He knew Jasper was better at this sort of stuff, but his mind was contemplating something I hadn't ever thought of before.

"Do you think?" Carlisle began before stopping because everyone looked in his direction.

Even Opi had turned in his direction and was curious. "Think what, Carlisle?"

"I was just wondering if Bella had actually mastered Occlumency or whether it was something else entirely."

Opi tilted his head. Bella stopped sniffling, and every single one of our friends turned to Carlisle, but it was Opi who asked the question. "What do you think it is?"

I read Carlisle's mind and sucked in a breath before I looked down at Bella. Could it be? Is that why it didn't work?

"What, Edward? What is Daddy thinking?" Bella asked.

"Your shield. Carlisle thinks that the reason the spell Moody used, the potion they'd devised, and your mind closing off from me was because your shield used up all your power and descended over your mind to protect you from everything that was happening."

"What about her Occlumency?" Hermione asked from next to Harry.

"Well, that's the thing, isn't it?" Carlisle asked rhetorically. "I'm not sure she ever used Occlumency."

"Hello, I'm right here," Bella grumbled from next to me. "Please use my name when you talk about me."

Carlisle grimaced as he turned in our direction. "Sorry, Bella, I didn't mean that the way it came out." Bella nodded, accepting his apology. "But I stand by my assessment. I think we misinterpreted your skills or read them wrong from what Dumbledore told us."

"What do you mean, Carlisle?" Opi asked, leaning forward in his chair.

For the next while, Harry, Carlisle, Esme, Bella, and I explain what happened when we first met. How I couldn't hear any of Bella's thoughts, how she would become tired in the afternoons from blocking her thoughts all the time. What her life had been like with her mother and why she had learned what we had thought was her Occlumency.

"Zat was a very good assumption zough, Carlisle. For someone so young, Occlumency can be exhausting," Fleur agreed. "What haz made you change your mind? And what Bella did before, holding everyone away; was that her shield?"

I decide to step in and tell this part of our story. "Yes. In our first year, Professor Dumbledore decided it was a good idea to hide a Philosopher's Stone at Hogwarts. Now, we all know that Voldemort is going to make a comeback …" I was happy to see nods all around, even from Fleur and Gabrielle. "Well, he made a play for it, and I was there. I faced off with him and stopped him from getting his hands on it. But in the process, I was hurt and slipped into a coma-like state. When I came to, I was in the hospital wing with a distraught Bella perched on my chest, keeping everyone at bay. She had a shield that extended out from her, and it worked much like the one Dumbledore used to keep me out of his tower. It was a physical barrier."

"So you zink zat instead of Bella learning to control her Occlumency early on in life, she mastered the use of her shield, and zat's what was making her tired?" Fleur clarified.

"Yes, I do." Carlisle nodded.

Bella rested her head on my shoulder. "And you think my shield cut me off from Edward? Why?"

"Well, that's easy." Esme stepped in. "That was not only to protect you, but to protect Edward from hearing what was happening. He needed to have all his wits about him to come and find you, to protect you. He would be completely distracted listening to you, and it would take him longer to find you."

"That seems counterintuitive," Neville murmured. He flushed when he remembered that the vampires and Veela could hear him. "I mean, wouldn't it be more helpful to pinpoint her thoughts?"

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, and looked around at everyone there. All the misfits who were sitting quietly and not saying anything. Carlisle and Esme, who knew what it was like to be mates. Bella's extended family in Fleur and Gabrielle. And Opi, who I had come to see as a mentor and grandfather of sorts.

"In a situation like that, no. Imagine if it were worse, and they were doing unspeakable things to her—be it hurting her or worse. The panic that would run through my system would totally disarm me. I wouldn't be able to concentrate on where she was, let alone how to get to her. So her shield instinctively protected not only her, but me."

"How would you have found her then? Say if they'd shifted her, and you couldn't figure out where she was." Gabrielle spoke softly from beside Fleur.

I smiled at her for being brave enough to speak up. "Mates have a safety mechanism built in. There's a link, a physical link, between them that pulls them together no matter how far apart they are. That's how I would have found her. The shield would have protected me from feeling the things happening to her, but our bond would have brought us back together, as long as we're alive."

"That's not to say that Bella was out of the woods because of their bond," Opi interrupted, looking at us speculatively. "The lake was a very big threat to their bond. If Bella had fully succumbed to her powers, she would have disappeared as Bella. She would have become a totally different persona, 'killing' Bella and killing their bond."

With Opi's words, I was thrown back into the panic I had experienced when I realized that Bella was missing. For a few minutes, all I could feel was what happened that day. I growled out when hands grabbed me and stopped me from reacting. They also stopped me from curling into myself with the weight of the guilt I was carrying from failing to protect her. My mind was going through all the many different things we could do, that we could make, to protect her from having to go through something like this again. Anything from water-resistant bodysuits, to a necklace that produced a bubble around her whole head when she was submersed in water.

It was that thought, though, that broke through the panic I was in because I brought to mind the look of Fleur using the Bubblehead Charm to swim to the bottom to rescue Gabrielle. It took me a few more minutes for me to notice there was a warm bundle in my lap and that all I could hear were the thoughts from my Bella's mind. She was chanting that she was sorry, that she was okay, and that I had to come back to her.

"I'm here, I'm here. I'm okay." I looked up to see we were in a corner of the room, away from everyone else, and that Bella's shield was around us. "What happened? Why are we over here?"

Bella's hands pulled my face down to look at her. "Mum and Dad had to bring you over here. When Opi spoke about our bond being broken, you completely descended into a panic attack. You stood in a crouch, pushing me behind you. You were growling the whole time. It scared me, Edward. Is that what it feels like to watch me?" She replayed the incident and showed me her feelings while it was happening. I nodded to answer her question. "I think you need to talk to someone too. Maybe," Bella looked at Esme, "some time away from everything and everyone will help?"

Esme nodded from her position over by the couch we had been sitting on. "I'll get right on that."

"In that case, we'll head back," Harry said as he stood. "We'll field any questions people have, Edward. You guys need to get back to your full bond, nothing is more important than that."

Bella and I watched in silence as the misfits got up, preparing to leave. Opi, it seemed, was staying put, and I was glad for that because I think I would need to talk to him over Esme or Carlisle. He would be more objective about everything. Our friends were nearly at the door when something occurred to me.

"Fleur?" I called to her.

"Yes?"

"Why did it not affect you? Being underwater?" I clarified, seeing her slightly confused look.

"Because I wasn't breathing it in. Bella was receiving her oxygen from the water itself while I was getting mine from the Bubblehead Charm."

"Thank you."

Fleur nodded, then waved goodbye as she and the others made their way toward the front door. Fleur froze momentarily after she opened the door, thoughts and all, before she spoke. "Madam Pomfrey, what are you doing 'ere?"

"Oh, Miss Delacour, you frightened me."

"I apologize. We were just leaving, but please come in. Mr. and Professor Cullen, Mr. Opifex, and Bella and Edward are just down this hall. Please, come in."

"Thank you. I will see all of you back at Hogwarts."

There was a shuffle as the misfits made their way out the door before they all said their variations of goodbye to Madam Pomfrey, who shut the same door as she entered. We were all quiet as Madam Pomfrey walked the short hall and entered the living room.

"Good afternoon all," Madam Pomfrey said, looking around at all of us.

"Poppy! How are you?" Esme walked over and hugged our school nurse.

Poppy Pomfrey smiled. "I am well, Esme. It's nice to see you outside the hospital wing and Hogwarts in general."

"You too. We should do that more often. It's so nice to have friends!" Madam Pomfrey and Esme giggled like schoolgirls. "Have a seat. What are you doing here?"

"Thank you." Madam Pomfrey took the chair next to Esme. "I'm actually here at the behest of Mr. Opifex." We all looked over to Opi, who just sat there silently with a smirk on his face. "He came to me this morning in the hospital wing and asked me to make a potion for him, and then said that I needed to drop it off here."

"And I thank you for your swift compliance," Opi said from his chair. "From what I've heard this afternoon, it's needed."

Bella spoke quietly from under my arm. "What do you mean?"

Opi looked over at us speculatively. "I've always been fascinated by mating connections. There are so many different ones out there, and I've come across many in my long life. Over the years, I've researched them and spoken to mates about their connections. One thing that always stood out to me was the damage that could be done to a mated pair if they were separated from each other, either by design or accident."

"Like with the tournament?" Carlisle asked.

"Exactly." Opi nodded. "They managed to repair their bond through hugging, snuggling, and other constant touching, but it always took a long time. So through experimentation, I was able to come up with a potion to help with repairing a bond."

I frowned. "But Madam Pomfrey gave us a potion in the hospital to help with that very thing."

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "I did, yes. But the one Opi asked me to create is much stronger than the one I gave you. I think this will help heal your bond much faster."

"Thank you," Bella and I said at the same time as the potion was handed to us. "Is this made for a vampire to consume?" I continued on.

Opi closed his eyes slowly, releasing a gust of air. "No. Damn. How could I forget that?"

"It's an easy thing to forget." Bella laughed. "I forget all the time!"

I smirked at her laughing because it meant she was feeling better than before. "I'll just ask Remus what to do."

"Why?" Opi asked as I stood and walked to the fireplace.

"Because he was the one who designed the potions that let us eat, that gave us back our eye color, and stopped us sparkling in the sun. He would know how to adapt a potion on the fly that would allow me to drink it."

"Huh. Smart man. I wonder why he never came up on my radar." I could see Opi trying to figure it out while I sent a letter through the fireplace to The Truth's office to have Remus contact me.

It didn't take long for the fireplace to flare green, but instead of Remus stepping out of it, only his face appeared in the coals.

"Edward, my friend, how are you?"

I laughed. "I'm well, Remus. How goes things at the office?"

"Wonderful, wonderful. What can I help you with this afternoon?"

"I need to take a potion. What's the best way to adapt it so I can drink it?"

Remus frowned, which was quite a feat, considering he was made of coals. "In my stores, in the kitchen, is some dragon's blood. A few drops per pint will help. Bella will need that also."

"How so?"

"Because of Bella's genetic makeup, and because she's not entirely human anymore, her potions need to be adjusted. So just use the same tactic with the dragon's blood, and she'll be good to go."

"Thanks, Remus. Catch up with you later?"

Remus laughed. "You know it. I'll have questions."

"Of that, I have no doubt." I chuckled.

Esme, Carlisle, Opi, and Madam Pomfrey spoke quietly while I entered the kitchen and searched through the stores, finding Remus's dragon's blood. This was something I was going to have to get and keep in my stores at all times. I spun around to head back only to see that Bella had followed me into the kitchen.

"Sweet girl, what are you doing? I was coming back."

Bella shrugged. "Didn't want to sit out there with the adults."

"Fair enough. Did you bring the potion?"

Bella held out her hand. I'd judged that the whole thing was a pint. I added a few drops to hers, then a few to mine. I clinked our potion bottles together.

"Cheers, Bella."

Bella laughed. "Cheers!"

Bella and I tipped our drinks up and knocked them back without preamble. Almost right away, I could feel the change in my body, and from Bella's thoughts, so could she.

There had been a cold patch, deep inside, that suddenly warmed. It wasn't something I'd noticed until it wasn't there anymore. But as that warmth spread, it had an interesting side effect. Bella started giggling. I started chuckling, and we couldn't resist reaching out for each other. Bella grabbed my hands as I reached out to tickle her sides.

After a few minutes, we were in an all-out tickle war right there in Remus's kitchen. We were making so much racket that it brought Carlisle, Esme, and Opi in to join us, all with smiles on their faces. Even though they were watching, Bella and I were unable to finish our game until the urge to do so completely ran its course.

Opi was smirking at us when we turned to face them after I pulled Bella completely into my arms. "I'm glad to see that the potion is having a positive effect."

"It did." Bella giggled. "Right away. It was wonderful."

"Now, only time will help your symptoms, time which Esme and Poppy have given you." Bella and I must have looked confused because Opi went on to explain. "While you were in the midst of your tickle fight, Poppy left to go back to the school after agreeing with Esme about you having some time. She's going to give Albus the letter from Esme and a recommendation from herself."

"I wished we could have thanked her," Bella murmured.

I kissed the top of her head. "We will when we go back to school."

Carlisle came over and kissed Bella's head and hugged us both. "I'm glad you're on the mend. I have to go back to St. Mungo's, but Esme is going to stay here with you two tonight before taking you home to Swan Manor tomorrow."

"Do we really need a babysitter?" I huffed.

Esme smiled. "No, dear." She patted my cheek. "It's just a little motherly smothering. I need to know that you two are going to be okay."

Mollified, I just nodded.

"Can you tell me what Remus meant about Bella not being completely human?" Esme asked as she looked over my girl. "I can't tell that anything has changed."

"Her scent changed earlier this year for the first time." I smiled as Bella looked up at me lovingly. "She's started her transition from human to full-blooded Veela. So now, all of her potions are going to have to be adjusted to make them strong enough. That's what Remus meant."

Opi, Carlisle, and Esme made the "oh" face. The one that you make when you finally clue in to something that has been going on right under your nose.

_I want to be alone, Edward. I want to snuggle,_ Bella thought, burying her nose in my neck.

"For now, though, Bella and I need to be alone. We'll meet you down here for breakfast, Esme. See you later, Carlisle and Opi." I guided Bella around the still smiling adults, and we made our way to the stairs.

"Leave the door open!" Carlisle called, making the adults burst into raucous laughter. "I'll be checking!"

"Not after you leave for the hospital!" I called back, causing Bella to just about bend in half with the force of her giggles. I picked her up and carried her to one of the guest rooms, slamming the door behind us. "He'd never check up on us."

I put Bella down and watched as she climbed onto the bed. She lay in the middle, still giggling. "I know that, Edward. Daddy trusts us. Now, come here. We have a bed we need to snuggle in."

"Yes, ma'am!" I saluted, falling into her arms.

~*~UHS~*~

The following few days were really quiet. Bella and I had travelled home to Swan Manor early the next morning and stayed holed up in our suite. The only beings who saw us were Athan, Saffy, and Kreacher, and the latter was only to bring us our meals. We honestly shouldn't have been surprised that they followed us home from Hogwarts, but when Kreacher had shown up in our room that first day, bringing lunch when we'd only just begun to discuss going and getting it, he threw us for a loop.

"Kreacher! You surprised us!" Bella had said.

"Kreacher is sorry, Miss Bella. But when Kreacher no longer felt your presence at Hogwarts, Kreacher had to come home."

I reached out to rest my hand on the old house elf's shoulder. "We should have told you, Kreacher. But we didn't know we wouldn't be coming back until Esme made us take some time off. I'm surprised that Athan and Saffy didn't follow you home as well."

Kreacher smirked and clicked his fingers. The small window we had installed for the owls opened. There sitting on their perch were Athan and Saffy. Somehow, Bella and I had been so absorbed in healing our bond that we hadn't noticed any of our most faithful friends coming home to be with us.

After that initial interaction, though, they'd left us alone. Bella and I had been in close proximity to each other for three whole days, uninterrupted. It had been glorious, and so very much needed, to repair the damage our bond had suffered.

"Edward," Bella sang. "Where have you gone?"

"Just thinking." I looked down at her curled up next to me, her chin resting on my chest so she could look at me. "What do you want to do today?"

"Hmm and what were you thinking about?"

I smirked. "All my thoughts were about you. Don't avoid the question."

Bella's beautiful giggle, which had returned in full force during the last few days, flew out of her mouth. "I wasn't avoiding the question. But to answer it, I think I would like to get out of the house today. Head out to Diagon Alley for an early lunch, maybe. Check in with Remus at The Truth."

"Sounds good. I need to visit Mr. Wiseacre and the apothecary too."

"What do you need from there?" Bella rolled out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. It seemed Bella was going to have a bath in our replicated Prefects bath before we headed out for the day.

"I want to have a look through Mr. Wiseacre's potion bottle collection." I smirked at Bella's giggle. I always wanted to look through the potion bottles. "And I want to see if the apothecary could get some dragon's blood for my stores. I want to keep it on hand from here on out."

Bella poked her head out of the bathroom door. "That's a good idea. I just want to enjoy the day. Think we can manage that?"

"We can certainly try." I leapt from the bed and kissed Bella on the forehead. "I'll go make breakfast while you bathe."

"Thanks, Teddy," Bella called as she shut the door behind her.

I smiled at the old nickname as I dressed for the day and made my way down to the kitchen. Kreacher was already there, getting things ready.

"You don't have to do that this morning, Kreacher. I would like to make us breakfast."

"Are you sure, Master Edward? Kreacher likes to prepare food for his family."

"I'm sure. Sometimes, men in love like to prepare the meals. I love what you do for our family, but I would like to do this today."

Kreacher smiled like he understood. And really, I'm sure he did. He prepared our food and looked after our house without receiving payment whatsoever. "Then Kreacher will leave you to it, Master Edward. Will you be home for dinner?"

I shrugged. "Who knows? Actually, no. I think I'll take Bella into London to a nice restaurant for dinner. Time for me to woo her like a muggle would."

"She'll like that. Have a good day."

"You too, Kreacher." I pulled several of the items Kreacher had retrieved from the icebox toward me while I looked over and put some of them back. Once I was happy with the ingredients I had chosen, I started to prepare the Spanish omelets I'd had a hankering for. By the time Bella came down for breakfast, I had the omelets, hot chocolate, and toast waiting for her.

"This looks lovely, mmm." Bella hummed as she sat at the bench. "When did you learn to cook?"

I snickered. "Cooking was something I loved to do with my mother when I was human. It was something that I had retained even after my change. I just never had someone I wanted to use it on before, and I haven't had much opportunity to do so since coming into the wizarding world. We've just been too busy."

"Fair enough." Bella laughed before pulling a plate toward her and starting to eat.

I took the seat across from her and admired her for a short while before I started to eat my own breakfast. It wasn't long until we were finished and making our way to the living room to use the fireplace.

"Last chance to stay home, Bella."

"No way! Just stay close. I don't want to be far from you."

I pulled Bella's hand up to my lips. "Never, sweet girl."

Bella smiled and stepped into the fireplace with a handful of floo powder. "Diagon Alley!"

As soon as she was gone, I followed through the fireplace. I couldn't help the shiver of nostalgia that reverberated through me. I loved coming to Diagon Alley because it was like stepping into the magical world for the first time all over again.

For the rest of the morning and early afternoon, Bella and I explored Diagon Alley from top to bottom. The only place we steered clear of was Knockturn Alley. We even managed to drop in and visit Alice in her store, Alice's Designs, and Rose at the Middle House before making our way to the apothecary, better known as Flamel's.

"Good afternoon, Edward! What can I help you with today?" the proprietor called out when we walked through the door.

I smiled as Bella walked off to explore what new things had come in since we'd done our shopping at the beginning of the year. I walked up to the front counter. "Good afternoon, Miss Flamel."

"Sidalcea, Edward, or Sidy, please. I'd heard rumors you weren't at school."

"A much-needed break, I'm afraid. Things were a little touch and go on this last task."

Miss Flamel frowned. "Yes, things did look a little strained when I was there, watching. Are things better now?"

"They are getting there. At least, between Bella and myself. Some of the teaching staff not so much. But we'll see." I looked around and saw Bella was engrossed in some books over at the other side of the shop.

"Then I'm glad for that. What was the reason you came into my store today?"

"I find myself in need of some dragon's blood for my stores. It's probably something that I will be needing regularly."

"Hmm … I might have some. Let me check." Miss Flamel held up a finger in a one-minute gesture, then walked toward the back of the store and through a door.

While she was gone, I walked over to Bella. "What have you got there?"

"Some advanced potion-making books." Bella held up what she was flicking through. "I think these could be helpful. And it would give you more potions to experiment with."

I kissed Bella's forehead, thanking her silently for always looking out for me. "That's not all you found, though, is it?"

"Nope!" Bella giggled, popping the P. "Look at these papers on experimenting on muggle things. It seems that, once upon a time, it wasn't forbidden. These might help me with my experiments."

"Then I'll grab those, too, sweet girl."

"Thank you, Edward." Bella kissed me on the cheek and continued to look around. I watched her until Miss Flamel returned from the back room.

"Ahh, you are in luck, Edward. I had some bottles of dragon's blood back here. I'll order you some more. How often will you be needing?"

I shook my head. "I don't know as yet. But I'll pick some more up at the end of the year. During the summer."

"Not a problem. Anything else?"

I handed over the items Bella had found and chatted a little more with Miss Flamel while she rung up our purchases. Bella came over to us just as we were finishing our transaction.

We both thanked her before we made our way out of Flamel's.

"Mr. Wiseacre's store next?" Bella asked when we'd walked out of the door.

I nodded and guided Bella in the direction of his store with her arm looped through mine. We had healed so much in the last couple days that we didn't need to talk too much. It was lovely, this level of closeness.

Mr. Wiseacre was completely absorbed in what he was reading when we walked in through the door, the chime rattling pleasantly above us.

"Good afternoon!" Mr. Wiseacre called, still looking at his paperwork. "I'll be with you in a moment."

"No problem," I replied, only to see his head shoot up in shock.

"Edward? What in Merlin's beard are you doing here? You should be in school."

I was a little taken aback at the vehemence in his voice. "Mr. Wiseacre, I don't appreciate your tone of voice," I said flatly. "And I don't owe you an explanation. Bella?" I called her over, preparing to leave. I'd had enough comments thrown about when people thought we couldn't hear. I wasn't going to have that from someone I respected.

"No, wait, Edward. That was rude of me. I'm sorry. You two just surprised me. I wasn't expecting to see you until the summer."

I spent the next few minutes giving him a simple explanation of what had happened. To say he was shocked was an understatement.

"I can certainly understand why you needed a break." Mr. Wiseacre shook his head. "And I feel even worse, now, for my reaction."

"I can understand you were surprised. I would have been in your shoes. I'm sorry I snapped. I've just heard enough today."

At this, Wiseacre snorted. "Oh, I can imagine the rumor mill is running rampant through Diagon Alley today. Take a breather and look around. Take your time."

Even though we'd been in this store every summer since our first year, there was always something new for us to look through. Bella and I spent a couple hours looking all through Mr. Wiseacre's store and purchasing more than we probably needed.

We left there around four, and I walked Bella down to Alice's store. Alice was waiting at the door for us with a garment bag over her shoulder, which she handed to me.

"What are we doing, Edward? And where are you going with that?" Bella looked up at me.

I kissed Bella on her forehead. "You are staying here with Alice and Rose. I'm taking this bag and going to The Leaky Cauldron to get ready."

Bella frowned. "But why?"

"Because, tonight, I'm taking you out to dinner in the muggle world. We're going to go on the epitome of a muggle date. Dinner, dancing, or maybe a movie. See what you feel like when we're done with dinner."

Alice laughed, with Rose joining her, as Bella jumped into my arms to kiss all over my face. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Edward." Bella started pushing me out the door. "You better go. I have to get ready. I have to be beautiful for you."

I stopped, froze really, and held her hands, staring intently into her eyes. "You are always beautiful to me, Bella. Always. You will never not be beautiful to me. It will only increase as the years go by."

Alice's store hadn't closed. In fact, the women who were in the store had been peeking looks at us since we'd entered. With my impassioned statement, it wasn't just Bella's sniffles that filled the store.

"Thank you, Edward." Bella reached out for me again, hugging me tightly. "I love you with everything in me, and I can feel how that love is changing every day."

I held on to Bella until Alice and Rose shuffled me out the door to get ready. I carried my garment bag along Diagon Alley, garnering a few strange looks, but I ignored them. The room I had reserved was ready when I got there, and I was shown straight through where I prepared for our date. Even though I could hear Bella, Alice, and Rose's thoughts from where I was getting ready myself, I left them to their thoughts. I wanted to be surprised by what Bella was going to look like. I knew I could trust Alice and Rose to keep true to Bella's beauty.

It didn't take me long to dress in the suit Alice had created for me. I could tell that while she had kept it decidedly muggle for this date, there were some accents that wouldn't have been misplaced in the wizarding world. For example, Alice had adjusted the size of the sleeves so they could accommodate both my mating bracelet and my gauntlets.

I couldn't wait to see what Bella was going to wear. But in the meantime, I was to stay in my room, reading a book or something, until she was ready. Alice or Rose would get in touch with me and let me know.

_Edward? _Rose called just loudly enough to garner my attention but not to shock me suddenly. _Bella's ready, and if you don't get on your way soon, you'll be late for the reservations I had to pay a lot of money for._

I chuckled as I stood to put down the book I'd been reading. Rose knew I would pay her back. In fact, the money would be in her muggle account by tomorrow morning. Not that she would care. Everything I had brought to the Leaky Cauldron would be picked up by Jasper when he finished at Hogwarts, so I had no need to take it with me.

I snickered to myself when I stepped out the back entrance of the pub and into Diagon Alley. If I thought I had been stared at before when I carried my garment bag, it was nothing on now. There were, of course, the appreciative looks that vampires garnered because of the way we looked, but it was the thoughts on my suit that garnered much more attention. The wizarding world dressed impeccably. Most of the time. But it was when they were confronted by something more muggle than wizarding that their interest became piqued. It was like they had never seen a well-dressed man before.

But none of that mattered because the moment I stepped through the door to Alice's store, my breath was stolen from me, and my vision became laser focused. There was Bella, looking more beautiful and more grown up than I had ever seen her. For the first time, I could see the contours of Bella's body and where her shape would fill in to create curves that I would struggle to keep my hands off of when the time came. In a year, maybe two, Bella was going to be stunning. Not that she wasn't now. I was a very, very lucky man.

Bella blushed under my intense gaze. Her cheeks flaming red. I stared in awe at the way Alice and Rose had enhanced Bella's natural beauty with the smallest amount of makeup. Her hair, which was a gorgeous array normally, fell in large ringlets, framing her face. I almost didn't want to look away to see what she was wearing. I forced my eyes from hers and slowly trailed them down.

Alice and Rose could not have chosen a better dress to complement Bella's body than the one she was wearing. The dress was a deep burgundy color and left both her shoulders uncovered. My mouth was watering to place kisses all over her neck and collarbones. I froze with that thought. Bella was still only fourteen. I couldn't give in to those kind of thoughts just yet. Next year, maybe. The dress had short sleeves, but I could see Rose holding a wrap in a matching burgundy for Bella to wear. I noticed Bella was wearing fingerless gloves that reached to her elbows and matched the color of her dress. It wasn't until her left arm shifted, and I saw her wand loaded into the glove, that I realized they were her gauntlets. She must have managed to change the color via a spell. My mate was brilliant. And her mating bracelet held pride of place on her right wrist. It stood out even more so against the maroon of her gauntlets than when they were blue.

The front hem of the dress fell to just above her knee while I could see the train of it fell below her knees in the back. It was Bella's legs that I was drawn to because it was more than I had seen of them ever before. But it wasn't just that. Bella was wearing heels for the first time, and it made her legs look delicious.

I shook my head to remove the direction my thoughts were going—Bella was still too young.

"Told you he'd be speechless." Rose giggled.

"I didn't need a vision to tell me that, Rose." Alice laughed, which pulled me from my thoughts.

"Bella," I breathed, taking a few steps in her direction. "You look stunning, my love."

"Thank you, Edward." She smiled, taking a hold of my hands that I held out for her. "You look better than you did at the Yule Ball. There is definitely something to the way muggle men dress."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. "Not all muggle men dress this way."

"Hmm. Well, they should. The muggle women would be much happier."

"Too right, Bella." Alice chortled. "For now, though, it's time to get going. Edward, your transportation for the evening is waiting for you out in front of the Leaky Cauldron. It will return you there when you've finished."

"Thank you, Alice and Rose, for all your help today. I couldn't have done it without you." I smiled at my sisters. They really were everything that anyone could need in siblings.

"No problem, Edward," they said together. "Have fun." Rose finished.

"Shall we?" I asked Bella, crooking my elbow.

"We shall!" Bella giggled as she looped her arm in mine.

~*~UHS~*~

The sleek black Town Car Alice had rented pulled up outside the restaurant where Rose had managed to score a table. I wondered how much I'd owe Rose for this.

"We're here, sir," the driver called from the front of the car before exiting to open my door.

"Thank you." I nodded as I climbed out. "I'll call once we're ready to leave."

I held my hand out to Bella, being the gentleman my mother instilled in me when I was young. "Where are we, Edward?"

"I know you've taken a liking to watching those cooking reality shows when you're at Emmett and Rose's. This is Gordon Ramsay's first restaurant." I indicated to the brick and white stone building behind us. It was decidedly understated, as far as top of the line restaurants went. But that was what I liked about it the most. It didn't try to stand out.

"Really?" Bella whispered. "How?"

I laughed. "I really have no idea. Rose managed to get us in, so we'll have to thank her."

"That we will," Bella said as I wrapped her arm around mine and guided her through the door.

The maître d greeted us and led us toward our table. All the tables were covered in crisp white linens, fine china and wine goblets, as well as simple cutlery. The chairs were all grey and white armchairs, but it off set the layout of the tables wonderfully. From the maître de's thoughts, he thought we might be celebrities of some sort, because only those requested the type of table we were given. Rose had managed to book one that, while in the main dining area, was off to the side to afford us some privacy if we decided to speak about things within the wizarding world.

We thanked the maître d' as he helped us sit at our table and handed us menus before letting us know that our server would be with us shortly.

"This place is beautiful," Bella whispered once again. "Is this how muggle men treat their partners?"

"The good ones do," I said automatically before I realized how that sounded. "That's not true. Muggle men try to treat their partners this way. Some can afford to go to restaurants like this, others can't. But the good ones will always make the effort to show their partners they're loved, be it with dinner out and dancing, or a movie, or just by making dinner at home sometimes. That doesn't mean that muggle women shouldn't do the same thing. Nobody should ever take their love, or their relationships, for granted."

"A lesson we've had to learn the hard way."

I smiled softly at Bella and reached out to hold her right hand. "We have. And it's something we'll always keep in mind."

We were quiet for a while so we could make our selections for dinner. Once the server had come and taken our orders, conversation flowed easily. Much like it always did with us.

At one point while Bella was enjoying her dessert, I reached over the table to once again hold her hand. "I love what you've done with these, Bella." I ran my thumb over her knuckles to indicate the gauntlets she had changed the color of. "Was it an advanced spell you used?"

Bella shook her head, finishing her mouthful. "Not really. _Colovaria_ is a Transfiguration Spell used to change the color of an object. I just had to think of the color I wanted and cast the spell. It was an easy change."

"Oh, I remember that one. It was in this year's spell book."

"Yeah, that one. Phew … I'm finished." Bella blew out a breath as she put down her fork. "I'm so full. What are we doing next?"

"That all depends on you. Am I taking you dancing, or are we going to see a movie? How do you feel?"

Bella thought about it for a few moments, and I let her have her thoughts by concentrating on those around us.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Take me dancing. I want to be close to you."

I smiled. "Done."

~*~UHS~*~

* * *

**Sounds like our couple are well on their way to repairing what could have been a disaster.**

**See you in a fortnight!**


	19. Chapter Eighteen - What the Crouch?

**Hi everyone! It's been a quick fortnight. I think the closer we get to Christmas the faster they will go. I loved your responses to the last chapter and I cannot wait to see what you have to say about this one.**

**Big thanks go out to Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson for all their hard work. These girls keep me on track, and readable. I'd be lost without them.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement intended.**

**See you at the bottom.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen – What the Crouch?**

Bella was absolutely stunning as I guided her across the dance floor. The dress, while form fitting, flared around her knees as I spun her around. I had opted for more formal dancing instead of a club. Mostly because that was what we were doing at the Yule Ball. I didn't think that grinding on each other would be appropriate considering Bella's age.

I smiled as I plunked out a few notes on my piano. It had been a wonderful end to the night. I was having some time alone because Bella was having one more counseling session with Esme.

We had been able to reconnect and rebuild our bond during the week that we'd been home. Our date night had helped tremendously, as had the counseling with Esme and Opi. The one setback had been when we'd gone down to Bella's laboratory to see Charlie and my parents.

We had been laughing and carrying on as we almost fell off the elevator and onto the floor, spilling into a pile in front of the mirror. We were feeling lighter than we had been for a while, tickling each other and playing around, that we hadn't been paying attention to our surroundings when we literally stumbled through the door to Bella's artifact room.

Bella was standing behind me when we stepped in front of the mirror, waiting for our parents to appear. My parents appeared first, smiling at me. Once Charlie appeared, happy to see us, if the smile on his face was any indication, until Bella stepped out from behind me.

All of their mouths dropped open, but Charlie? Charlie turned grey. He stumbled a little, falling backward in shock, landing in a chair that miraculously appeared behind him. Charlie's head dropped into his hands as he shook it. But what really caught my attention was Bella bursting into tears at the sight of her daddy's upset.

I reached for Bella as my mother went to comfort Charlie. My dad just continued to stare until he silently blurted out a _"what happened?"_ For a lawyer, he used to be more eloquent.

"Dad!" I hissed, running my hand over Bella's hair. It seemed that in the last week we had forgotten about what kind of response Bella's appearance could garner.

"_Sorry_," he mouthed, looking contrite. He opened his mouth to continue but was interrupted by Charlie flying out of his chair to stand in the forefront.

"_What in the hell happened_?" Charlie mouthed. The look on his face was furious. "_Why does Bella have_ blonde streaks in her hair?"

Bella's crying instantly stopped as both of our mouths dropped in shock. In all the times we had spoken to our parents via the Mirror of Erised, it had been a one-sided conversation. In short, if you were unaware, it would sound like Bella and I were talking to ourselves. In all our previous conversations, all our parents could do was mouth the words to us that they wanted to say.

Until now, that is.

The last half of Charlie's question had been said out loud, both in the artifact room and in the world wherever our parents had ended up.

"What are you two staring at? Answer me, dammit!"

"Dad! You spoke!"

Charlie looked at us confused before answering. "Of course, I spoke. You might not be able to hear me but I speak all the time."

"Not out loud you don't," I said as calmly as I could.

Our parents knew that we couldn't hear them speak. So, to know that we had heard Charlie must have been a blow to my parents, but they hid it well under their shock.

"_What do you mean?"_ my mother asked.

I was disappointed at the fact that I couldn't hear my mother, but it did make me wonder if that would change. I looked at the hope swirling in her eyes. "When Charlie got mad, we could hear him speak, out loud, through the mirror."

"That doesn't matter!" Charlie exploded, once again, out loud. "Tell me why the hell my daughter had to use her siren powers!"

Instead of arguing the point because knowing we could hear him kinda did matter, we started explaining what had been happening at Hogwarts this year. At first, all the parents were happy and proud of what I had accomplished, that was until I started explaining what happened with the second task.

"He did what!" Charlie bellowed before he started pacing. "Of all the moronic, stupid, idiotic things he's ever done! Dumbledore is usually more …" The more Charlie paced and mumbled the less we could hear.

Bella, while still upset, had calmed down and stopped crying. We were both disappointed when his voice faded away. It seemed the more upset he became, the clearer he was to hear.

_I want to hear them all the time. I want you to hear your parents. This is not fair,_ Bella thought sadly, looking up at me.

"I know." I kissed her forehead gently. "I wish the same."

"_Is Bella okay?"_ my mother asked me because I was the only one looking in the mirror's direction. The question caught Charlie's attention, and he spun back to face us.

"She is." I smiled down at her. "We've both had the week off from Hogwarts and spent untold time with each other, repairing our bond. We've both had counseling with Esme and a family friend, Opi, to help deal with the post-traumatic stress we suffered because of it. We're due to go back to Hogwarts on Sunday to finish out this tournament and to finish this year at school."

All three of the parents stared at me like I was speaking Greek. I knew without them asking that they wanted to know what I meant with counseling and PTSD. Those terms weren't around when my parents lived, after all. I took the next few minutes explaining what they were. The expression that crossed their faces when they understood showed they were happy with the support we were getting.

My father looked at both Bella and me sternly after a few minutes. _"What does this mean, Edward? Everything that is happening. You know." _

I took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. I was afraid of what Charlie's reaction would be, considering he was around for the first wizarding war with this particular man.

"It means that Voldemort is closer than ever to returning. And nobody we know is safe."

It was after that revelation that Bella needed to see Esme. Charlie left to see what he could find out, be it on their plane or ours; I wasn't sure. I was left standing in front of my parents.

"_Are you sure you'll be all right, Edward? You, Bella, and your family?" _my mother asked.

I nodded, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "I'm positive. There are very few wizards who can cast a spell strong enough to affect Bella, me, or the other vampires in our family. It will be the wizards themselves who will be the most at risk."

"_Edward, I know how you can be," _my father said as he looked directly at me. The lawyer was in full effect, and he always had my full attention when he spoke like that. _"If this comes to war, and I know you think it will"—_I nodded to his statement—_"You need to look out for yourself and Bella first. You will _not_ be able to save everyone. That is just a fact of life. _Do not_ sacrifice yourself. You must survive. For Bella. Because we have spoken to Charlie, a lot. We know what will happen to Bella if she is left to survive without you. Do you hear me?"_

"Yes, sir."

My mother smiled at me. _"Go, play your piano, my son. We will see you when you come back from Hogwarts. You might even be tournament champion."_

I smirked at them. "Love you both."

They returned in kind as I made my way out of Bella's laboratory. I could already hear Bella in with Esme as I made my way to our suite, thinking about what my father had said. He was right. I would have sacrificed my life for my friends or family once upon a time. But that was no longer an option. Bella had to come first. And that meant I had to come first.

And as I slipped onto the bench in front of my piano, I knew I would do anything to make sure we would walk out of this coming war with nary a scratch on us.

Nothing else would do.

~*~UHS~*~

"We missed you both so much!" Hermione gushed as she hugged Bella before turning to me. Then she spun right back around to hug Bella again. "The world inside Hogwarts can be really boring without the two of you."

That caused a bark of laughter from me and a smattering of giggles and chuckles from our friends.

"You say that like we cause all the trouble." I laughed.

Ginny smiled. "Not all of it, no."

Bella and I had made it back for dinner in the Great Hall the Sunday a week after we left for our sabbatical. To say that our friends were happy to see us, and how healthy our bond was, would be an understatement. Luna joined Fleur and Gabrielle at our table once we were able to mingle. It was easiest just to stay where we were because we knew we would get loud. Although I had contemplated the RoR, the dining hall was just easier because I knew there were more than a few people who wanted to talk to us. Even if it was just to say hi.

"So … nothing happened while we were gone?" Bella asked when there was a lull in the conversation.

"I wouldn't say that exactly," Harry spoke when nobody else did. "I take it you haven't kept up with the Daily Prophet or The Truth while you were gone?"

Bella and I shook our heads. Because apart from that one trip to Diagon Alley, we had stayed away from all media platforms. We wanted nothing to do with any of it until we absolutely had to. That also included Esme and Carlisle. We had used our bubble lamp more often than not so we didn't overhear, nor did I listen to, anything we didn't want to hear.

"The popularity of The Truth is rising, mostly because of the steady stream of breaking news they consistently provide. Just recently, they were the first to question where Barty Crouch had been at the second task. They were also the first to report that he hadn't been at work and that nobody could find him. It was only a few days later that The Daily Prophet reported that Barty Crouch was officially missing," Neville reported.

"Wow … really? What else?" I asked to distract them from the fact that I wasn't that surprised. Only Bella and Fleur seemed to notice my less than enthused response, and Bella already knew.

The misfits talked about a few other inconsequential things that happened while we were away. My mind drifted for a while, only until Hermione's hesitation in both thought and speech grabbed my attention. And it seemed Bella's too.

"What is it, Hermione?" Bella squealed quietly. "Oooo, this must be good. Look at that blush!"

_I don't know why I'm blushing. I don't like him._ Hermione sighed and looked longingly at Harry. Not that he noticed. "Viktor asked me to come to Bulgaria over the summer. He wants me to spend some time there with him."

More than one girl at the table squealed. Including Bella, who did it to hide her pity for Harry. Speaking of Harry. Once the words were out of Hermione's mouth, he stood with a huff and stormed out of the Great Hall. He was more jealous than he could even articulate, but he didn't recognize it as such. He hadn't realized that the reason he was feeling like he was whenever Viktor was mentioned was that he cared for Hermione more than he could, or would, admit to himself.

I snickered as the boys zoned out of the conversation. This type of thing was not what they were interested in. I leaned over and kissed Bella's head. "I'm gonna head up to the Common Room. Come find me when you're done gossiping."

Bella smirked at me. _See you later!_

I chuckled as I stood because Neville followed suit. Fred and George had made a fast exit after Harry. But the funniest part was the girls all scrambling closer together to get the juicy details. Neville was quiet while we made our way out of the Great Hall and started up the moving staircase. I could hear from his thoughts that he wanted to ask me a question, but I would let him come to me.

The children in our grade were going through big changes this year, and it wasn't just in the academic, or tournament, sense. They were also at that age where hormones were changing; they were noticing the opposite sex or, in some cases, the same sex. The worst part about listening to this age group was the fact that they were so confused. Much like Harry, they didn't understand why they were feeling what they were feeling. Be it jealousy, lust, or love. It was just such a confusing time for them. And in turn, it could give me a headache.

"Edward?"

"Yeah, Neville?"

"What's wrong with Harry? Any time Hermione mentions something about Viktor, he gets upset. He'll either brood silently with a grumpy look on his face, or he'll storm off like he did earlier."

I had a feeling my friend, and adopted cousin, was going to be a late bloomer. "Harry is … dealing with some very new feelings. He isn't sure what to make of them just yet."

"Oh." Neville nodded like he understood what I was saying. "Right. So, we just leave him be?"

"We just leave him be."

"Okay."

I'd keep an eye on the situation. If Harry started hurting my newest sister then we'd be having words. As long as he kept storming off, he was doing no harm.

~*~UHS~*~

It didn't take long for Percy's owl to bring me another update on Crouch once he realized I was back at Hogwarts. He was concerned, as he should be, but continued on monitoring the staff at the Ministry.

Due to that letter, and catching up on the articles in both the Daily Prophet and The Truth, I spent much of my free time trying to find out as much as I could about our missing judge. That included listening to as many thoughts as I could throughout the day and night. Bella helped where she could, but once we'd exhausted all of the written words, she had little she could do.

"Hey, Edward?" Bella asked as she came through the portrait. She and the others had gone down to the library for a few books.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Have you asked Dad yet? Maybe he's at St. Mungo's?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. "I hadn't even thought about it." Why hadn't I?

"That's why I'm here." Bella smirked, making her way to my trunk. Nobody was paying attention to us, so she opened it. "Now I have some work to do."

I laughed as Bella climbed into the trunk and spun back to my desk to write Carlisle a letter. I was hoping he would be able to give me some insight into where Barty Crouch Senior might be hiding. If he was hiding.

~*~UHS~*~

Life went back to normal after writing my letter to Carlisle. Lessons, studying, and preparing for the final task. While I waited for a reply, we started a wit-sharpening potion with Snape and converted buttons into beetles with Professor McGonagall.

By the end of the week, Carlisle had sent me a letter, asking for us to come to the Hogs Head Tavern for lunch on Saturday with him and Esme. Which is why we found ourselves traveling on the coaches toward Hogsmeade Saturday morning.

"What do you think Dad wants to tell us?" Bella whispered to me so as not to be overheard by our friends.

I shrugged. "He didn't say anything in his letter. Just told us that he'd explain when we had lunch with them."

_Ooooookay then._ Bella huffed quietly. If there was one thing I had come to know about my mate, it was that she didn't like being kept in the dark. Secrets were her worst enemy, which is why Dumbledore frustrated her so much. That was a man who had a lot of secrets.

We split off from our friends once we reached Hogsmeade and made our way to the Hogs Head Tavern. Carlisle and Esme were already waiting for us when we arrived. We said hello to the proprietor, Aberforth, and walked over to their table.

"It's wonderful to see you again," Esme gushed as she pulled Bella into a hug.

Bella giggled. "You only saw me yesterday, Mum."

"It's never enough." Esme wrapped me in another hug while Carlisle cradled Bella carefully. "And I don't see you nearly enough, Edward."

"Sorry, Mom." I sighed, playfully, like the dutiful son. I shook Carlisle's hand before taking a seat next to Bella at the table.

We chatted aimlessly for a few minutes while waiting for whatever drinks would be sent our way and ordering lunch when the waitress approached our table.

I was going to ask what Carlisle had found out but he asked his question first. "What's going on, Edward? Shouldn't Barty Crouch be at the tournament, or the Ministry?"

"You read the exposé in The Truth?" I asked instead.

"We did. And we had a visit from Sirius before the article was printed," Carlisle replied thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought much about it at the time because while his questions were probing, they weren't directly related to Crouch. So, what is going on?"

"Barty Crouch is missing. And has been since before the second task."

Carlisle's and Esme's mouths dropped open in shock. I waited until the waitress had dropped off our food before I quietly explained what Percy had written to me and everything I had noticed.

"I just wanted to know if Barty Crouch was there in the hospital, or if there are any John Does that you've heard about."

"My goodness," Esme whispered, covering her mouth with her hands.

Carlisle shook his head. "He's not there. Either by name or as a John Doe. But I will definitely keep a sharper eye out for him. In saying that, though, he had shown up a few days after Sirius came to ask his questions."

"What happened?" Bella and I asked at the same time.

"I came down the stairs into the waiting room, to help triage because we'd had a rush of people needing our help …"

I could see the waiting room as Carlisle descended the stairs. There were many witches and wizards waiting to be seen by a healer and just as many nurses trying to lead them to separate waiting rooms. Carlisle helped guide a few of the closer, less urgent maladies to the upper waiting rooms before looking around at the others.

"When I came back down, there was a gentleman who would have looked vaguely familiar if he'd been more kept. Well, that was until he turned around …"

The man Carlisle was describing was in a suit, but it was completely messed up. He was missing a shoe, and his pant leg was ripped. From the back, you could see that his shirt was untucked because his jacket was long gone, and when he turned around, one sleeve was rolled up while the other was torn at the elbow.

But the biggest change was in his face. Barty Crouch had seen better days. His hair was a filthy mess, his face was gaunt and sunken in, and his eyes were unfocussed but blank.

Carlisle blew out a breath before he continued. "I walked closer, trying to gain his attention, but he didn't seem to show any recognition that he knew who I was. When I got closer, I noticed that he was muttering. It was so quiet that I hadn't heard it from across the room. I hadn't even seen his mouth moving for that matter. And even as I stood in front of him, the only thing I really understood was the word '_his flask_'." I watched as Carlisle placed his hands on Crouch's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I told him to stay put, then left to get someone to help me because I'd never seen anyone acting like he was, but by the time I returned with someone else, he was gone."

"Can you just replay how he was acting?" I closed my eyes as Carlisle thought back and replayed his memories of how Barty was behaving in the waiting room.

He was erratic. Even though his movements were sluggish and kind of clumsy. I watched as he fumbled around the waiting room seemingly not seeing anyone or anything.

"I've seen that kind of behavior before," I murmured quietly before explaining to Bella what I had seen. "Remember in Defense Against the Dark Arts earlier this year?"

Bella nodded slowly. "Yeah. Moody"—here Bella gave me a look—"was using the Imperious Curse on the rest of our class trying to get them to fight it."

"His behavior is like that, only more intense."

"Like he's been under for a while …"

"Maybe he has been. I mean he's been missing for ages …"

"Really?" Bella asked, looking up at me. "You think that he's been under since he disappeared, long before the second task?"

I shrugged. "It would make sense."

"Then why reach out now? Why not back then?"

"Maybe his captor has gotten lax with the timing of the spell? Maybe he's trying to fight back and that was a better day than before?"

"Uh, Edward, Bella?" We both stopped finishing each other's thoughts and turned to Carlisle and Esme. It was Esme who'd spoken, and she continued when she had our attention. "Care to explain what you mean about Moody? I thought the Imperious Curse was one of the three Unforgivable Curses? What is he doing casting them on the student body?"

"He believes a war is coming, not that he's wrong, and that we should be prepared for everything coming our way. He was trying to teach the students how to fight the Imperious Curse," I answered carefully. I would have thought Esme would have known this. She should have heard it, even from her classroom outside the school. "Didn't you hear?"

Esme shook her head. "When I'm in my classroom, I focus on what is going on in there. I hardly hear anything outside of that."

"Fair enough. But back to what Bella and I were discussing. From what I could tell in your memories, Barty Crouch Senior was under the Imperious Curse when he came into St. Mungo's."

"Why did he leave before I could help him?" Carlisle asked. I could hear the concern in his voice. He was really worried.

I sighed. "Because whoever has him under their control pulled him back under before he could ask for help."

~*~UHS~*~

Nothing much was discovered about Crouch after that initial conversation with Carlisle and Esme. It was like he vanished off the face of the planet. Carlisle kept an eye and ear out at St. Mungo's while Percy checked in every so often from the Ministry. Nothing was heard from either location, and Barty Crouch certainly didn't appear at Hogwarts. That I could hear at least.

In fact, I kept a vigilant ear out for weeks. We were approaching the end of May before anything happened, either with Barty Crouch or the final task of the Triwizard Tournament.

"Mr. Masen and Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall called from the front of our transfiguration classroom. We had just finished up for lunch. "Please stay back for a moment."

I kissed Bella on the forehead. "Go ahead. We'll catch up with you."

"See you in a bit," she replied while all the others waved as they walked out the door.

Professor McGonagall nodded when Harry and I stood in front of her desk. "Thank you for staying. Tonight at eight-thirty, I would like the pair of you to make your way out to the Quidditch pitch. Mr. Bagman will meet you there to give you more information about the final task."

I nodded while Harry said a quiet, "Thank you."

We walked out of the classroom and quietly made our way toward the Great Hall.

"Have you heard anything about this task?" Harry asked me as we walked through the large doors.

"No. They've been pretty tight lipped about the whole thing." I tapped my head to show Harry that I meant the thoughts of the teachers around the school. "None of my usual contacts have had anything to say about it at all."

"Hmm. I wonder if that means only a few know, and those who do know are not to say anything to you."

I shrugged. It was unusual that I was unable to find out anything about the task. Granted, Albus knew how to keep me out, and the fake Professor Moody was a fickle man. He didn't always think out loud.

We filled the others in when we got to the Great Hall for lunch, but otherwise, we were all pretty quiet. Bella and the others were starting prep for finals while Harry and I helped where we could. I didn't understand why we got a free pass. It's not like we didn't have the time to prepare. The tasks only took up a fraction of our school year.

"Huh. What do you think that's about?" Ginny asked as we descended the hill toward Hagrid's hut.

We all looked in the direction she was pointing to see that Hagrid was standing by some fresh turned earth with another large box waiting for us.

"Welcome, welcome! C'mere and see wha' we got!"

The girls giggled at Hagrid's enthusiasm before running over to his side to peer into the box "Oh! There so cute," they all gushed.

I groaned, causing the boys to laugh. "No, Isabella. Just no."

"Why not?" Bella asked with a laugh in her voice.

"Because we don't need any more pets."

"All righ' yeh two, that's enough." Hagrid scolded gently. "Welcome to class. As the girls have discovered, I have something real cute for you." Hagrid tapped on the top of the box, which let the side fall down, revealing a clear wall that we could see through. "Can anyone tell me what these are?"

Bella and I were quiet while the others studied the odd-looking animals. They reminded me of platypuses. Small brown and black creatures, covered in fur, with a duck bill, clawed feet, and from what I could see, a pouch on their bellies.

"Anyone?" Hagrid asked.

When nobody answered a second time, Bella piped up. "They're nifflers, Professor. Commonly referred to as the treasure hunters of the magical world. They are often used by curse breakers to search cursed grounds for treasures."

"Very good, Bella. These little fellas are used to dig up treasures. Each one 'as a name tag. I want you to pick one out, then come over to this patch of freshly turned earth. We're gonna 'ave a little race."

There was a scramble as a majority of the class ran to the box to pick out their nifflers. Bella was, of course, one of the first using her speed to her advantage. I snorted to myself as I made my way to the box. With the way Bella was nuzzling her niffler, it looked like we would have a new pet sooner or later.

Once everyone had their niffler, we all made our way to a position around the bare patch of earth Hagrid had dug up. "In this 'ere dirt, I 'ave buried some gold coins that your nifflers need to find. The one who finds the most will win a prize.

"On yehr marks …" Everyone leaned down, holding their nifflers above the dirt.

"Get set …" I chuckled to myself as I followed their leads. I loved these lessons with Hagrid. I could really enjoy myself.

"Go!"

With a cheer, everyone let go of their niffler. Some stood and sniffed the air and the ground, and some dove straight under the ground. Over the next half an hour, amidst cheers, taunts, and celebrations, the nifflers repeatedly dug for treasure.

Each of the nifflers was experienced in what they were doing. They dug into the ground only to resurface when they found something to give it to the child who had pulled them from the box.

I had to chuckle because my niffler had done that at first. But he had gotten overexcited on one of his finds and almost flew out of the ground, only to land head first on my lap. The glare that he sent my direction was hilarious, even from a small ball of black fluff.

"Oh, you poor little guy," Bella had cooed, picking him up and rubbing his head. "Did you bump your head on the stone vampire's legs? Hmm?"

I smirked as the niffler preened under her attention before he leaped out of her arms and started digging once again. I couldn't help but laugh aloud when instead of returning to me, Bella ended up with two nifflers digging her up treasure.

Bella looked at me out of the corner of her eye. _I don't need this money, nor do I need to win._ Bella giggled and shoved a few coins in my direction when my niffler dove back under ground.

I looked around to see that there was some intense rivalry going on. Most of it was fun being had between friends, but it was the one between Ginny and Pansy Parkinson that really caught my attention. It seemed that both girls had managed to get really smart nifflers, and they were neck and neck for the winner's pot.

"Maybe we should give Ginny a hand?" I whispered to Bella.

Bella's eyes flicked in her direction and watched what was happening for a few seconds. The next time my niffler poked his head back up through the hole, she pulled him up to her face so she could whisper to him. She smirked as she let him go again, and he buried himself in the dirt.

I leaned back on my hands, pretending to watch what was happening, only to flick my eyes over at Ginny when I tuned into the thoughts of our nifflers. They were having a lot of fun sneaking around and giving Ginny some of our coins.

"This has to be the most fun I've had in class since we started at Hogwarts!" Ginny laughed. "And look … I'm winning!"

I smiled at Ginny. "You sure are winning." The pile next to her leg had grown quite a bit more than Pansy's. I smirked because as Ginny looked away to cheer on her niffler, mine poked his head out from behind her pile and added a couple more coins while nobody was watching.

_She deserves it,_ Bella thought, thanking her niffler when he handed her two more coins.

"She sure does." I kissed the top of her head, laughing when Hagrid shot us a warning look. We weren't supposed to display PDA in class, but he never really called us on it.

"Time's done! Round 'em up!" Hagrid called a few minutes later.

There was a lot of noise as we all gathered our nifflers and our piles of coins, laughing, teasing, and ribbing each other on how much the nifflers had found.

_Do you think Ginny will have won?_ Bella asked me after kissing our nifflers goodbye. The look on all of their faces was quite pathetic. They were giving her their version of puppy eyes while Bella was looking despondent back at them. _I really want to keep them._

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure of it." I sighed, quite audibly, because I knew I would give her anything she wanted. "We'll talk to Hagrid, Bella. I don't think he'll have a problem with you taking them home at the end of the school year. I don't think he'd even mind looking after them while we finish out the year."

"Really?" She beamed up at me.

"Really. But we'll wait until after class, okay?"

Bella nodded excitedly and bounced over to where our friends had gathered and were comparing their piles of gold coins.

"So how did you do, Edward?" Harry asked me when I stood next to Bella.

"Bella is going to talk to Hagrid about taking our nifflers home with us."

Everyone burst out laughing, but it was Harry who continued talking. "While that is no surprise, I was talking about your pile of coins. How did you do?"

"Oh." I laughed at myself as I pulled out the small pile of coins in my pocket. "After mine head-butted my lap in his enthusiasm, he never brought me another coin. I have absolutely no chance of winning. Maybe Bella will with her double haul."

Another round of laughter tittered through the group.

"Looks like it might be Ginny who won out of all of us!" Hermione said excitedly. "Look at all of her coins!"

We all spun to face Ginny. It was true. While most of our friends could hold their pile of coins in one hand, Ginny needed both of hers, and even then, she was struggling to contain them all. The nifflers had done a wonderful job of sneaking coins into her pile.

Hagrid had produced a table from somewhere. "Gather round, gather round." He indicated the table in front of him. "Set down your piles and let's see who the winner will be!"

For the next few minutes, we laughed, teased, and taunted as we compared our coin piles. I couldn't help the bark of laughter that erupted from me because it seemed I had the smallest pile.

The laughing at my expense was interrupted when the whispers and thoughts of a few select Slytherins interrupted. I could see that they were—trying—to stealthily add more coins to Pansy's pile. They didn't want a blood traitor—their words not mine—like Ginny to win the prize that Hagrid was going to give them.

The great thing about Hagrid being half-giant was that he had inherited many of the traits the giants themselves had. Better than average hearing was one of them. While he didn't hear as much as Bella or me, he heard more than a human. Except for when he was distracted, like he was at the moment. He was fiddling around with the box the nifflers were in and wasn't paying attention to the goings on at the table.

"Hagrid," I whispered, an urgent tone to my voice, which caught his attention. "Look."

Hagrid stood back, watching the happenings at the table. The longer he watched, the angrier he became. Usually, for one of Hagrid's size, most people could hear him coming. But the Slytherins were so absorbed in what they were doing that they didn't notice him coming up behind them.

"Yeh weren't tryin' to cheat, were yeh?" Hagrid's booming voice caused them to freeze in their tracks. "That type of behavior will not be tolerated in my class." Hagrid walked around to his place at the head of the table. "Now let's see what everyone has got!"

We all fixed our piles in front of us and waited for Hagrid's judgement. "It looks like it comes down to two people. Ginny and Pansy. How many coins do yeh have?"

Hagrid pointed to Pansy first. "Uh … forty-six, professor."

"And, Ginny, how 'bout you?"

"I have forty-eight, Professor Hagrid!"

Cheers rang out around the table. Our group being the loudest.

"Well done, Ginny! Now, 'ese coins aren't real. They're leprechaun's gold. What you 'ave won is a small supply of chocolate from Honeydukes!" Hagrid reached into his overcoat, into one of the many pockets, and pulled out one of the biggest slabs of chocolate I had ever seen.

Every mouth around the table dropped open.

_Merlin! How big is that thing?_ Bella asked rhetorically.

The thing was enormous. Ginny was going to need to use the Reducto curse to break it up. It was a foot long and at least eight inches wide. And if my guess was accurate, I snorted quietly, _of course it was,_ at least four average bars thick. Making it two inches thick.

"Well done, Ginny!" Hermione cheered, pulling everyone from their shocked stupor.

"Well done!" We cheered to Ginny's bright sunny smile. She'd never won anything in her life, and as far as she was concerned, this was a good start to a winning streak.

~*~UHS~*~

Harry and I stepped out through the massive doors of the castle at a quarter past eight. With everything that was happening, I wanted to catch up with the other champions. It had been a while. Although, Harry was very reluctant to be anywhere near Viktor Krum. He hadn't reconciled his thoughts and feelings as of yet.

"Evening, Viktor, Fleur. How are you?" I asked as Harry and I came to a stop at their sides.

Viktor nodded while Fleur answered. "Good, Edward. How are you?"

"I'm much better. As is Bella. But I'll be glad when this tournament is over. For something that was as big as it was, back in the day, this one has left much to be desired."

"Me too," Viktor grunted quietly. "It's ridiculous that they were preaching international magical co-operation, and now that it's happening, they don't want us to collaborate."

Harry snorted as he began to lead the way to the Quidditch pitch. "That's because it's not going the way they wanted it too. Not at all."

"Isn't that the damn truth," I murmured too quiet for the others to hear. I wasn't sure what the protocol for swearing was in the wizarding world. I'd never heard anyone swear. And I certainly didn't want to corrupt the children of the wizarding world if they never spoke a word of profanity.

We were quiet as we all made our way to the pitch. This tournament was wearing on us all, and we were all just ready for it to be over and done with. But I knew, could feel it in my bones, that something big was just around the corner.

Alice's vision had said as much when she saw me get struck down with the killing curse. But what led to that, I have no idea.

I froze ever so slightly when I reached the end of the tunnel that led to the pitch. Instead of our beautiful flat ground, ready for a rousing game of Quidditch, the ground was no longer flat. All over it, running in different directions—some ends meeting, some ends not—were low, barely knee-high, hedges.

"Welcome champions!" Ludo Bagman called from the middle of the pitch. "Come on, come closer. We have much to talk about."

I followed the other three across and around the low-lying hedges toward where Ludo was waiting for us. I tried to pick his brain to see what was going on, but his mind was suspiciously blank. I wondered what that was about. Until he opened his mouth.

Ludo spread his arms out wide and spun around in a circle to indicate the pitch around him. "So, what do you think of the third task?"

Ludo's mind whirled with all that he had been thinking about earlier. Obstacles that were going to be put in our path. Other things in the maze that we had to compete against. It took me a moment to realize I had encountered minds like his before.

A few years back, Carlisle had asked me to come to the hospital to consult on a case. This wasn't unusual. I could hear a lot of things Carlisle couldn't. Anyway, he brought me in on this case of a gentleman who had been in a rather severe car accident. He was awake and would talk when there was a conversation going on around him, or he was asked a direct question. Even though his brain scan would show that there was no brain activity when he was just left to his own devices. Except for the fact that he was still breathing.

I stood off in another room as Carlisle ran a battery of tests and held conversations with the man. After some time, he determined that the guy had suffered a head injury in the car accident that had caused some pretty severe brain damage. The guy was able to look after himself with relative ease; he just didn't show any thoughts when things were happening unless you engaged with him. Everything was running on autopilot, so to speak. That's what reading Ludo Bagman's mind reminded me of.

"What is it?" Harry asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

_Surely, it's obvious. _"It's a maze," Viktor said in his gruff way.

"Or it will be?" Fleur stated. Or she would have had it not come out like a question. "But we only have a month. I know we are magical, but still?"

"Well done, Viktor! Yes, it is a maze, or it will be. In a month's time, the hedges will be as high as the stadium seats," Ludo crowed. "The reason they will manage to grow so fast is thanks to a secret formula made by Hogwarts own Professor Sprout. You have a half hour to look around the hedges, then we can have another chat before you go back to your beds."

The four of us split up and went in different directions. I used my time to try and memorize the placement of all the hedges. I knew it would feel different when I was on the ground and running between the shrubs, but I thought it might be one of the best options to help me … and the others. I ran to the top of the stands and took a mental photograph of the layout of the field. It might be cheating, but when I listened in on the thoughts of the others, I realized they were doing the same thing.

Except Harry, who was walking around with his head facing the ground, finally contemplating what his feelings about Viktor and Hermione meant. While I would have preferred for him not to do this when he should have been concentrating, I couldn't fault him for it. I was about to make my way over to him to try to get him to focus but was interrupted by Ludo doing that exact same thing.

As I was listening to Ludo trying—once again—to offer Harry help that he wasn't supposed to, I finally understood. Ludo owed the goblins more money than he could ever hope to gather. Mostly because he had used leprechaun gold to pay his last few debts to them. The goblins had been happy when he had paid up all the debts that were owed to them. That was until they went back into their vault to find their gold had disappeared. To try to make up for his lack of foresight, he bet them double or nothing on this tournament. Specifically, that Harry would win the whole shebang.

He was a chronic gambler, and that was why Ludo offered Harry his help whenever he could. Ludo wanted to win. And he wanted to win big.

For the next few minutes, Fleur, Viktor, and I listened while Ludo fumbled through trying to help Harry, who wasn't really listening.

"Why doez he not offer hiz help to uz?" Fleur asked quietly.

It was as I was explaining my epiphany to Fleur and Viktor that another mind caught my attention. It seemed that Madame Maxime had not given up hope of returning Fleur to the Beauxbatons fold and was wanting to talk to her. When I finished my explanation, I pointed Madame Maxime out to Fleur, who rolled her eyes before going to talk to her former headmistress.

"Do you think Harry would speak with me?" Viktor blurted out quite suddenly. I hadn't been actively listening, but I tuned in now.

_Oh. That's what he wanted to talk about. _"Uh … sure. I think he would if you asked him. I'll even try to give you some privacy when you do. There would be no better time than after we finish up here."

Viktor nodded before wandering over to where we had entered the pitch, waiting for Harry to finish up with Ludo. I followed because what else was there to do. Harry watched us for a moment before he caught on to the fact that we were ready to go. He politely thanked Ludo for his help and followed us across the pitch. The three of us were silent until we reached an area that was about halfway between the pitch and the castle. Not surprisingly, it was Viktor who broke the silence.

"Harry, do you mind if we have a talk?"

"Uh …" Harry looked in my direction. I shrugged my shoulders in response. "Sure. What can I help you with?"

"I'll see you gentlemen tomorrow. Goodnight." I waved at them while Harry looked at me dumbfounded. I leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Be honest with him. Otherwise, you may come to regret it." It was the most I could say to give him a heads up.

Instead of listening to their conversation, I sped my way back to the Gryffindor tower. I was due to take my potions tonight, and I wanted to spend some more quiet time with my girl. Bella was waiting for me in my recliner, reading a book, when I returned to the tower.

_How did it go?_

"About as good as can be expected. The last challenge is a maze. We find what is at the center, we win. Simple as that."

_You mean you win. Right?_ Bella smirked at me.

I smiled, kind of evilly. "Right. I find what's at the center, and I'll win the tournament." My smile softened. "But I won't leave the others to fend for themselves if I can help it."

_I know, Edward. You wouldn't be you if you did. And I love you for that. Just remember, this is a tournament, and I want you to win._

I leaned down and kissed Bella's forehead. "You got it, baby."

She went back to reading quietly while I pulled out the potions I needed to drink for the upcoming week. I was almost finished taking them—just had the one that would give me my human eye color left—when a visitor popped into the Gryffindor Common Room behind my privacy curtain. She peered around the curtain, catching Bella's attention.

"Winky! What a pleasure. What are you doing here?" Bella asked, putting her book down and standing from her chair.

Winky was looking much better. She'd put on some weight and filled out in places that had looked emaciated before. She also wasn't as nervous, or jittery, as she stepped out from around the curtain and smiled at Bella.

"Miss Bella, it is good to see you again. Winky has been wanting to thank you and Master Edward."

I shook my head. "There's no need for thanks, Winky. We wanted to help."

"Winky is still appreciative." Winky bowed softly. "As for the reason Winky is here … Winky brought a sweater for Master Moody. It gets cold down in the chest. While Winky was there, the other Moody came into the room. We listened as the other Moody spoke to someone through the fireplace … someone Winky recognized. And then Winky realized who the other Moody is … Winky spoke to Moody … he said Winky should tell you everything. That it could help." Winky was getting more and more worked up as she tried to explain.

Bella knelt down in front of Winky and placed her hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, Winky. You don't need to get it out all at once. Just start with who the other Moody was talking to, and who he is."

"The other Moody is … is … Winky's former master's son … Barty Crouch Junior, and he was talking to …" It was as Winky blurted out the name I was fearing, "you-know-who", that I heard a mind-splitting scream of, "_EDWARD,"_ from Harry out in the grounds of the castle.

I must have startled because Bella looked up sharply at me. "Edward? What's wrong?"

Through Harry, I could see that Barty Crouch had stumbled out of the Forbidden Forest, reaching out for Harry and Viktor.

"_EDWARD!"_ Harry screamed again, which caused me to wince once more.

Bella had opened her mouth to ask me what was going on for a second time, but I held up my hand just asking for a moment.

"Bella, Winky, I really want to discuss this, but could you please hold those thoughts until I get back. Something is going on near Viktor and Harry that I really need to deal with. But first, I need to get to Dumbledore."

Both Bella and Winky nodded silently, just once, before I sped out the door without their thoughts even reaching my mind. I kept an eye on what was happening with Barty and Harry. Harry was doing the right thing, trying to talk to Mr. Crouch, while still calling out for me. Although, he was becoming increasingly panicked. He didn't know what was happening or why it was taking so long for me to get there.

I sped through the castle. Jumping over the bannisters of the moving staircase, dodging teachers I came across, without even slowing down. Knocking papers and other things out of their hands with the wake left behind me. I was so preoccupied with what was going on outside that I wasn't paying attention to any other thoughts around me, that was, until I almost crashed into Severus Snape in the corridor leading to Dumbledore's office.

"What are you doing here, Masen?" he sneered.

"I don't have time for you. I need to get to Dumbledore." I tried to step around him.

"He's busy right now and not taking visitors. Now, what are you doing here?"

_For goodness sake! EDWARD! I've gotta go find you, or Dumbledore, or hell, even Snape, just somebody._ Harry was about to run away from the scene, leaving Viktor to keep an eye on Barty Crouch for him.

"Look, I don't like you, you don't like me. It's mutual. But right now, I have an emergency on my hands, and Dumbledore needs to address it. You need to get out of my way before I use my strength and move you myself," I growled, showing how serious I was.

Snape froze for a fraction of a second. He'd never been afraid of much in his life, even while working with Voldemort, but the low, threatening tone of my growl completely freaked him out. He stepped aside and let me through without further argument.

Although, once I passed by him, he decided he was going to follow. A little gleefully, I might add. He didn't think I had enough clout with Dumbledore to be given the password. The password, thanks to Snape's brain, happened to be _Twix_. To put some distance between the two of us, I sped through to the tower that led up to Dumbledore's, whispered the password to start the gargoyles—mostly to prove a point to Snape—then used my abilities to climb the wall up to Dumbledore's office just to get there first.

Snape was not amused when he stepped inside the tower.

I barreled through the door to Professor Dumbledore's office without pause, or knocking. "Edward!" His hand flew to his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry for barging in, sir, but we have a situation that needs to be dealt with."

"What is it?"

"Barty Crouch has turned up in the Forbidden Forest, and from what I can tell, he's under the Imperious Curse … and has been for some time."

Without another word, Dumbledore stood and lead the way out of his office, only to nearly collide with Professor Snape as he stepped off the top step, huffing and puffing because he didn't have the ride up like usual. The glare Snape sent my way as we maneuvered past him was almost funny.

"What's going on, Albus?" Snape asked as he fell into step with us.

"Barty has returned, and he needs our help, Severus. We must hurry."

Snape nodded and followed along quietly, at least in voice. His thoughts were going a mile a minute, wondering what had happened in the time that Mr. Crouch had been away.

Harry met up with us as we reached the large entrance door. His words were coming so fast they were almost blending together. He ignored Professor Snape altogether. "Edward! Professor Dumbledore! Viktor and I were walking along the edge of the forest when he stumbled out. I tried to talk to him. Tried to get him to come with me, but it was like he wasn't even there. He kept mumbling about something I couldn't understand. I was hoping you were coming, that someone was paying attention, but I just couldn't wait any longer. I left Viktor with him … Come, this way."

"You did good, Harry," Professor Dumbledore said, patting him on the shoulder. "Lead the way."

While the two professors followed Harry at a human pace, I raced ahead to the spot I saw in Harry's thoughts. Only instead of finding Viktor standing with Barty, I found Viktor lying on the ground and Barty nowhere to be found.

What the hell? Instead of standing there looking dumbfounded, I decided it would be best to start investigating what had happened.

"Edward? Where is Barty?" Professor Dumbledore asked when he arrived.

I looked around gravely before walking over and standing in front of Harry, Dumbledore, and Snape. "It seems that whoever put him under the curse has, once again, recaptured him. They knocked out Viktor, either by spell or physically, and spirited Barty away."

~*~UHS~*~

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**Things are starting to get really intense. So what do you say?**

**See you in a fortnight.**


	20. Chapter Nineteen - Sins of the Son

**Hello everyone! So sorry this is late, it has been a long week, with an even longer night. Tonight was our work Christmas party for the kids, so I've only just got home. **

**Thanks to Pienuniek and Sally Hopkinson. I love you girls. I'd be lost without you.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Please enjoy ...**

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**Chapter Nineteen ~ Sins of the Son**

"What? What do you mean?" Harry asked, dumbfounded. "I wasn't gone but five minutes!"

I stepped aside and revealed Viktor, completely unconscious on the ground near where he had been bobbing down next to a confused and babbling Mr. Crouch. I had been using my extra senses to figure out what had happened in the time that Viktor and Barty had been out here alone. With the new, though slightly disturbing, information Winky had given me, I had determined that Barty Crouch Junior had come from the Forbidden Forest after Harry had left. He had stunned Viktor and either strengthened the Imperious Curse on his father, to make him follow, or had taken him by force back into the Forbidden Forest.

I was glad the night was rather balmy. The scents that were left behind were still crisp and clear, making it easy to figure out what had happened and easy to follow them. What concerned me, though, was the fact that I had never put two and two together about the fake Mad Eye Moody and Barty Crouch Junior being one and the same.

"And how do we know it wasn't Mr. Potter who cursed Mr. Krum before running for us? Or yourself, Masen, when you ran ahead of us?" Snape sneered before he demanded, "What have you done with Bartemius Crouch?"

I snarled furiously, causing Harry, Dumbledore, and Snape to jump. But I wasn't the only one to voice my rage. Harry spoke up with indignation. "Why would I attack my friend? And where, not to mention how, would I be able to hide a body so fast?"

Snape's face twisted with rage. "That's the brilliance of magic, isn't it? It can help you do things that seem to be impossible. I should …"

"You should know … right?" I snarled again. "Given your history. Should we be concerned that you will turn your back on all you have, all those who have given you a second chance after everything you did, or did not do, the first time around?"

"How did you?" Snape sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. I could see that his thoughts were completely stumped.

"Know?" I asked. "I've told you over and over that vampires have special abilities. We hear more, see more, than you could ever imagine. Just because you refuse to acknowledge what we've been trying to tell you for years doesn't mean it isn't true. But right now, we're off topic. When have Harry or I given you the impression that we would do anything like you're suggesting? When have our relationships seemed that fickle to you?"

"Yeah? Then prove it! What happened here?" Snape basically yelled at me.

I stared at him hard. Not wanting to have to prove anything, but just as I was about to open my mouth to tell him exactly what had happened, a new voice entered the conversation.

_Edward? I hope you can hear me,_ the real Alistair Moody called out to me. His thoughts focused, almost screaming at me. _Don't tell them anything. Please. I'll explain it all later._

I ground my teeth together to stop from blurting out the truth. "I don't need to prove anything to you. I wouldn't lie about something like this. I've never lied about something like this. Ask anyone around here." My arms spread out wide. "In fact, why don't you ask the man standing right behind you? The one who gave you a chance, an offer of forgiveness, when no-one else would."

"What would you know about forgiveness, about second chances?"

I snorted. An ugly, bitter sound. "More than you could ever know, or understand. You are not the only one who lived a life on the dark side. But unless you actually talk to someone, open up, and look at someone other than yourself, you'll never know what other people are going through."

"Enough," Dumbledore said, interrupting our verbal sparring match. "This isn't helping at this point in time, but Edward is not wrong, Severus." While it was nice to hear Dumbledore backing me, I was worried if it was too little, too late. Dumbledore held up his hand when Snape went to argue the point. "For now, Severus, I need you to go and get Headmaster Karkaroff and bring him here."

We were quiet until Snape had walked off. Dumbledore spoke first. "I understand your reticence when it comes to Severus, Edward."

"Do you?" I growled. "That man is more trouble than he is worth."

Dumbledore paused a beat before turning to Harry. "Harry, my boy, can you please fetch Professor Moody for me. I need his help with trying to locate Bartemius Crouch. Edward, you too, please?"

I nodded as Harry turned to go.

"No need, Albus. I'm here."

I froze, hearing the voice of Moody—or who I had now learned was Barty Crouch Junior—but walked to the edge of the forest where the scents of the two Crouchs mingled. I used my enhanced senses to figure out which way they were going.

"I'm 'ere too, Professor," Hagrid said as he ambled into the clearing.

"Good. Hagrid, I want you to escort Harry back to the castle, please? Alistair, can you go look through the forest for Barty?"

"'Course, Albus."

I was silent as Barty Crouch Junior walked past me into the forest. Once he was gone, I looked back over at Dumbledore, then made my way into the forest.

Once I was out of sight of Dumbledore, Viktor, and now Karkaroff—who was ranting and raving about how this was a one-sided competition, that Dumbledore was cheating by having two champions—I shifted into my snow leopard and stalked off after Crouch Junior. I followed the scent trail of father and son, now strengthened by the scent of Barty Crouch Junior a second time.

I followed along the trail, on the ground, until it really got strong, then I took to the trees. It didn't take me long until I came across where Junior had gone.

I laid down on one of the higher branches of the tree I was in, using the leaves as camouflage as I watched Junior. He approached an area of the clearing he was in with cold, calculating movements. I could see there was absolutely no emotion left in him as he pulled what I now knew to be an invisibility cloak off the body of his father.

_Well,_ I sighed, _what's left of him_.

I watched from my perch as Junior bobbed down next to Senior. "You brought this on yourself, you know. If you didn't fight the curse so hard, I would have kept you alive. Cursed, but alive. Then again, who knows? Maybe once my time here was done I might have killed you anyway. Wormtail may finally get what's coming to him now."

Junior snickered as he stood. He pointed a wand at him and said a transfiguration spell I had never heard before. I stood to be able to see the body better as it transformed from that of his father into a femur bone. With that, Junior reached down, picked the bone up, and hid it in his oversized jacket. He sauntered off without a look around at his surroundings. For someone who had survived the first wizarding war, on the wrong side I might add, he was being rather reckless. He obviously thought he wouldn't be caught.

Once he was gone from the small clearing, I jumped down from the tree and crept my way over to the spot where Barty Crouch Senior had met his end. I had just reached the spot when I heard the fast approaching sound of hooves. I spun in the direction they were coming from and let out a growl that would scare just about anybody. But what appeared in the clearing was not just anybody. It was a centaur.

He was a damn striking presence in that clearing. He seemed to take up the majority of the space available. In fact, his dark brown body stood as tall as I did, when I was on my two feet at least. So his actual head was well above my own. He stared down at me through dark eyes and a piercing glare.

"Be still, young wizard. My name is Bane, and I mean you no harm."

My growl cut off with my surprise.

"Yes, I know what you are. I also know what you are doing in that tournament. I have consulted the stars, and you must be careful. Do not stop the things that are foretold. Do you understand?"

I sat on my haunches and tilted my head at the centaur talking to me. I got the gist of what he was saying but was unsure how he used the stars to figure out what was happening.

Bane looked up at the sky through the treetops. "Venus is in retrograde with Mercury, while Mars is prominent. These things must happen. Do you follow?"

I nodded my big furry head to indicate that while I was unsure what he actually meant; I knew I had to let the tournament happen how it was supposed to. It meant that I would be hit with the killing curse at some point during the duration of the third task.

I hoped that Bella would finish that vest before the task was due to commence.

After Bane left the clearing, following my nod, I made my way out of the Forbidden Forest and back to where Professor Dumbledore was waiting for a progress report.

"Any luck, Edward?" Dumbledore asked when I stepped out of the forest in my human form.

I shook my head. I knew I was lying, but I'd now been told by two people to let things happen and to keep it to myself. "No, sir. Sorry."

"Thank you." Dumbledore sighed. "Head back to the castle and check on Harry. Stay in the tower, please?"

I took off without another word. I had a conversation to have with Winky.

~*~UHS~*~

Bella was the only one in the Common Room when I arrived. She was waiting patiently for me in my recliner but had a very serious look upon her very beautiful face.

"Bella?"

"Winky is waiting for us, Edward. She's with the real Moody in the bottom of his trunk, but we have a problem."

"What is it?"

Bella stood and indicated to my desk. On the top lay the Marauder's Map. I smirked; we hadn't used it in some time. In this instance, Bella leaned over and tapped the part of the map that Junior's office was located. "See this?"

I bent over the desk. "Junior is there."

"So it's true?"

I stood and nodded. "Oh, yeah. I can't believe I didn't pick up on the similarities before. Their scents are especially similar."

"Okay. Then we need to see Winky. Kreacher?"

With the familiar pop that accompanied a house elf joining us, Kreacher arrived in my corner. "What do you need, Miss Bella?"

"Edward and I need to go see Moody. And we need to get in undetected."

"Kreacher can do that." Kreacher smiled, and it was just this side of evil. "Now?"

I snickered at his face. "Now."

Bella grabbed Kreacher's left hand while I placed my hand on his shoulder. With a small snicker, Kreacher clicked his fingers and the Common Room disappeared. Within seconds, we were reappearing at the bottom of Moody's trunk, but this time, we were in a different room than the one he usually occupied. This one was much more comfortable, as in it had a few couches and a coffee table. In the corner on a rickety table stood a shallow bowl that, after a second look, could be a pensieve, if the milky substance swirling around in it was any indication.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Moody said from his place on one of the couches. "Come and take a seat."

Bella smiled and walked over to the other couch where Winky was waiting. "Nice to see you again, sir. Nice to see you looking better."

"I am feeling better. Thank you. Of course, I have to put on a show for him up there, but definitely better." Moody nodded to the chair next to Bella. I sat down and looked at him expectedly. "Ask your question, Edward. What is it you need to know?"

"Why, sir? Why shouldn't I have told Professor Dumbledore what I had found?"

"I suspect you know."

"Because whatever's coming needs to happen. We can't stop what's coming. You're the second person to tell me this. Why?"

Moody sighed and leaned back into his chair. "The only way to truly beat Voldemort is to let him come back. That's the simple answer."

I nodded. "And the more difficult answer?"

"I think Harry is the link to it all—helping him come back and how to end him."

"Heavy load for the guy," Bella murmured. "Do we tell him?"

Moody shook his head. "This is something he needs to figure out on his own."

We were all quiet while we thought about the implications of this information. Harry was a key, a tool to take down the worst dark wizard since Grindelwald. It was a heavy load. My concern was this: was Harry going to make it out alive?

"Can Winky talk now, Master Edward?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I had to leave so abruptly, but Mr. Crouch Senior appeared at the edge of the Forbidden Forest earlier."

Winky sucked in a gasp. She shook ever so slightly. "Is Mr. Crouch okay?"

Kreacher could tell by the look on my face that what I was going to say would not be to Winky's liking, so he made his way over to the couch that Bella and Winky were sitting on.

Bella reached over and held onto Winky's hand as I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. "I'm sorry, Winky, but he didn't make it. Mr. Crouch was killed tonight in the Forbidden Forest."

Winky nodded, although, I wasn't sure she knew she was doing it. "Winky guesses it was Mr. Crouch's son?" I nodded to her question and watched as Winky took several deep breaths in and out to calm down. "Winky has no loyalty to Junior, and she will miss Senior, but Winky must tell her new friends what she knows. Do you have time to listen?"

"Of course, Winky. We always have time to listen, even if it's postponed a little." Bella smiled at her. "When you're ready, we're listening."

"Mr. Crouch has many secrets, many secrets that Winky was entrusted with. But some secrets need telling. As Winky said to Master Edward and Miss Bella earlier, the person posing as Mister Moody is actually Bartemius Crouch Junior." Winky was breathing heavier, both scared and nervous that something would strike her down for uttering even this much. She reached up to pull on her ear, but instead, she twirled it around and around, trying to curb the urge to hurt herself because she was telling things she shouldn't be.

Moody leaned forward. "How did he get out of Azkaban prison?"

"Winky does not know, sir. All Winky knows is that Mr. Crouch and Mrs. Crouch went to see Bartemius at Azkaban when Mrs. Crouch was sick. They both came home and continued on with their lives. Then one day, Winky came home from doing their shopping to find Mrs. Crouch gone … missing … and Junior was there instead. Mr. Crouch tasked Winky with looking after Junior. He made Winky tether Junior to Winky. So wherever Winky went, Junior did too."

Things started to click into place. Things from before the school year started. "He was there. At the Quidditch World Cup. Sitting right next to you." I clicked my fingers and pointed at Winky.

I saw a flicker off to the side as Winky nodded. When I focused on that flicker, I could see that a 3D image appeared out of the top of the Pensieve. It looked to be like a trial of sorts, and from what I could see, Ludo Bagman was at the center.

"And he was with you in the forest where the Dark Mark was cast … wait a minute … he cast the Dark Mark!" Bella exclaimed excitedly, pulling me from my thoughts, then her countenance darkened. "So, Mr. Crouch released you from his family for his mistake of having his son at the tournament."

While it was a relief figuring out some things from the beginning of the year, I could see that Moody had questions. "How did Crouch keep his son under control, Winky?"

"He … he used the Imperious Curse, sir. It kept Junior relatively under control."

"Relatively?" I asked.

Bella sighed. "Let me guess, he fought it, and eventually, he pulled out of it."

"Winky tried, but Winky could not keep him under control. The longer Junior was under the spell, the more control he was able to gain back." She froze but pulled her hand from Bella's to twirl the other ear before reaching out for Bella's hand again. "Junior started to fight harder … after we had a visit … a visit from a ministry person … someone who worked with Mr. Bagman. Um … B-bertha? Winky thinks."

"Bertha Jorkins?" I asked. "The one who's missing?"

Winky shrugged before she spoke again, more quietly than before. "Winky does not know, nor does Winky know what happened after the World Cup, but it cannot have been good if Junior is here posing as Mr. Moody." Winky shuddered when she was finished, as if it were a great relief off her shoulders.

Moody winced at the tone Winky started out with. We all kind of did. "You did what you did to survive, Winky. You were doing what your master wanted you to do, what any good house elf would do. Do not berate yourself for that."

"Thank you. May Winky please go back to the Weasleys now?"

"Are you sure that's where you want to be?" Bella asked, looking over at Kreacher, who was still comforting Winky.

"Maybe Winky can stay for a little while." Winky looked at Kreacher out of the corner of her eye.

The pensieve caught my attention again as I chuckled quietly at Bella's smug smile. It seemed she was scheming to get these two elves together.

I was just about to ask Moody if I could check out his pensieve when I heard the unmistakable sound of locks disengaging. Moody was the only one to make a move when the sound reached his ears. He pulled out his wand and waved it around. The room we were sitting in started to shift and split. The couch that Moody was on disappeared, and he ended up sitting on the floor while everything we were sitting on moved over and a wall came up between us. The last thing I saw as the door closed was Moody slipping his wand into the secret pocket in his pants and pulling the blanket over his leg.

"Any idea what's going on?" Bella whispered as she came to stand next to me.

"Yeah. I think Moody is about to have a visitor."

We were both quiet as we listened to Moody antagonize Junior. He wasn't being anything but his condescending, sarcastic self, but it was getting under Junior's skin like there was no tomorrow.

_Junior will kill him if Moody keeps this up. I hope he's not putting on a show for us._

I snorted quietly. "I have a feeling this is how Moody always is with him. It wouldn't matter if we were here or not."

_Time to go, Edward. Come see me another day._ Moody's thought's interrupted our quiet conversation.

"Moody says it's time to go." I spun around to see that Kreacher had Winky's hand in his, and they were talking quietly. "Kreacher, can you and Winky get us out of here, please?"

"Uh …" Kreacher startled. "Kreacher can do that. Can Kreacher accompany Winky home afterward?"

Bella smirked into the sleeve of my jacket before turning back to the elves in front of us. "Of course you can, Kreacher. You don't even need to hurry back."

"Thank you, Miss Bella."

Bella reached for Winky's hand as Kreacher still held her other one. I once again grabbed Kreacher's shoulder. With a click of his fingers, we were back in the Gryffindor Common Room. As soon as I turned around, Kreacher and Winky were gone.

Bella snickered. "Well, that's an interesting development."

"Mmhmm. 'Cause you aren't angling for little elven babies or anything."

Bella gasped, placing her hand on her chest. "I would never."

"Sure, Bella. Now, off to bed."

"Yes, dear." Bella pursed her lips for a kiss, which I gladly gave to her, before pushing her off toward the stairs. I laughed as Bella giggled her way up to her dorm.

~*~UHS~*~

The next couple of days were quiet while we tried to work out what kind of things we were going to be facing in the maze. Bella had thrown herself into finishing off the vest for me. She had some sort of breakthrough when something she'd heard had given her an idea, so she spent every second that she could working it out in the trunk.

We were both on a spare lesson between classes while some of the others were in class. But the mind I was paying special attention to was Harry's in Divination. It seemed the class was warm, smoky, and oh so comforting. I snickered quietly to myself—it seemed Harry was going to fall asleep in the middle of class. Not that I could blame him. Professor Trelawney was not the most entertaining of teachers.

It didn't take but a few more minutes for Harry to fall sound asleep with his head resting on his arms. At first, his dreaming was peaceful. Just a pitch-black peacefulness. I loved when I was able to experience peaceful dreams, and the one that started to appear in Harry's mind was one of my favorites. He was flying. But it wasn't the normal flying dreams to which I was accustomed. In this one, he was either on the back of a large eagle owl, high up in the air, or he was the large eagle owl.

His mind was free. And the feeling he was experiencing was unlike anything he had felt before. It was so real that I could almost feel what he was feeling as he flew through the air. As Harry looked around, I could see clean, green fields, a forest over on the right, hills in the distance, and houses dotted around the place where I could see light flickering in the windows. It seemed that it was one of these houses that the eagle was flying toward.

The closer we flew, the more detail I could see. The house was a beautiful country home made of old stone and covered with ivy. Most of the windows were closed up with shutters, bar the one the eagle was flying to. Things seemed to morph and change as we flew through the window and into the house, and when we landed, we were in the corner of a room, which was bathed in darkness. And in the middle of the room were two distinct shapes. One was a rather large snake, and the other was a fat, balding man with rat-like features and buck teeth.

Wormtail.

But he wasn't his usual slimy self. Wormtail was on the ground and writhing in some serious pain. He would writhe for a short period of time before he'd get the chance to rest, and pant out from holding his breath through the pain, then someone would torture him again. I didn't understand who until a high-pitched voice slithered out from the darkness.

"You're very lucky, Wormtail. Lucky that someone could fix the blunder you made. Crucio," Voldemort's voice called out from the dark, cursing Wormtail and making him scream out in pain.

As fast as the dream had begun, Harry was back inside the classroom with Professor Trelawney standing over him. "Where were you?" she asked. "Were you in the beyond?"

"Uh …"

"You were!" she whispered. "Tell me—what did you see?"

"Um …" Harry stood on shaky legs, his only thought to get to me. "I … uh … need to go." With that, Harry almost fled from the room with the stares of all the children on him, including Neville. Although, Neville was more worried about what had happened.

"Edward? What's going on? I've been calling you for ten minutes." Bella's voice brought me back from Harry's mind.

"I'm sorry, Bella. Harry's dream called me in. He's on his way to me, and I think I need to take him to Moody."

"Oh? That bad?" Bella looked down at me with concern.

"I think it's something we need to talk about, yes."

Bella sat down in my lap, kissing my jaw. _What about Dumbledore?_

I checked on Harry's progress down to me; he was almost here. "I think that would be a bad idea at the moment. I'm not entirely sure he's on our side. And if he is, how much of that extends to us or to his grand plans. How's the vest going?"

"Couple more spells and I'll have it ready." Bella smirked. "It will be ready for the last task. It will protect you." She sighed. "I wish I could give it to all of you. But …"

"But we need to let things play out how they are supposed to. I know."

We were quiet until Harry burst through the portrait. "Edward! Did you see?"

I stood, placing Bella on my chair, and held Harry's shoulders as he almost plowed into me. I helped to steady him. "I did, Harry, and I think we need to go talk to someone."

"Yeah … okay …" Harry panted, nodding as I turned him around and marched him toward the portrait.

"I'll see you when I get back, Bella."

"Yeah, okay. Love you."

"Mwah." I smirked as the portrait shut behind us. I could still hear her giggles as I walked down the first flight of stairs.

"Where are we going, Edward?"

"To the one person who might be able to explain what the hell is going on with your dreams. If he can't help then I'm not sure who else can."

_Okay._ Harry nodded and followed along as I led the way to Junior's office. We made it down the stairs and around to the DADA classroom, and of course, Junior's office. The worst part about doing this while classes were on was that we couldn't sneak in.

"Now what?" Harry whispered.

I smirked. "Kreacher?"

"Yes, Master Edward?"

"We need to get in to Moody. Can you, please?"

"Of course, Kreacher will help. Hold on," he said with a small bow. Harry and I placed a hand on each of Kreacher's shoulders and waited while he clicked his fingers, taking us into Moody's trunk and into the room Moody created so he was more comfortable while waiting for Junior to check on him.

"Boys? What are you doing here?" Moody asked, jumping a little.

"I think we may have an issue, Professor," I said, shuffling Harry into a seat.

"What's going on?"

With Harry's help, we described every facet of the dream Harry just had in Divination class. From the eagle owl, to the house described in the dream, to what I thought was Voldemort punishing Wormtail for something or other.

Moody sat quietly, contemplating all that we had told him. I kept out of his thoughts as much as I could, but some things slipped through. Not that I could make any sense of it. Harry and I were both silent until Moody sat forward and asked a question I hadn't been expecting. "Have you ever had any dreams like that before, Harry?"

Harry looked to me first. I nodded to show that I thought he should tell Moody everything. "Yeah … yes. Over summer, I had one as well."

"What happened in that one?"

"It was like an out of body experience. It was like this one where I watched through someone or something else …"

"Be specific, Harry." I interrupted. "We figured out afterward that we were looking through a snake. And if our suppositions, or mine, were correct, Harry was watching through Nagini."

"Really?" Moody asked softly. "What happened in this dream?"

Over the next several moments, Harry told Moody what he remembered, and I filled in the blanks when Harry forgot.

"The voice was the same. The same high-pitched, shiver-inducing voice in both dreams." I sighed. "It seems that Voldemort is alive and gaining ideas, power, and more followers."

Moody sighed from his seat on the sofa. "I always knew he would. There was no way he was defeated like that. He was just too powerful. Especially for a baby. Sorry, Harry."

"No apologies necessary. I never understood how I was able to defeat him back then." Harry looked confused. "I mean, I know it was protection from my mother, so why do people think it was me?"

I snorted. "That's an easy one. Because nobody was told about your mother giving herself over for you. They weren't told that she sacrificed her life for yours in a true act of love."

"Nothing stronger than that bond," Moody agreed. "You know, I remember back in the day the order talking about something. It was well known amongst those fighting against Voldemort that a child would be his downfall, but I always thought there was more to it than that. I always wondered whether Dumbledore knew more than that."

I growled under my breath at hearing that. It seemed that Dumbledore was keeping more from us than ever before. Why couldn't the man just be honest?

"But what do these dreams mean?" Harry asked, pulling me from the ire that was taking over my thoughts.

"I'm not sure they are dreams, young Harry." Moody glanced meaningfully at me, so I tapped into his thoughts. I could see that Moody thought there might be a connection between the two, but he wasn't sure how or why. "When I get out of here, let me do some research. I might be able to give you some answers. Do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

"Write down any other dreams you have. Keep track of them. How often. What happens in them. And anybody you recognize."

Harry swallowed. "I can do that."

A flicker of silver from the corner caught my attention again. I looked over to see that the pensieve had projected another 3D image of the same courtroom I had seen before.

"What's going on in those memories?" I blurted out when the curiosity finally got to me.

Moody chuckled at me, as did Harry. "I think that is something you should see. Actually, you and Harry both." Moody pulled out his wand and pointed it at the corner. "Accio pensieve." The picture I had seen projecting from the pensieve disappeared as it flew through the air and landed on the table in between all of us. Once again, Moody pointed his wand at it. "Engorgio," he said, making it large enough that both Harry and I could place our heads inside the bowl.

Moody swirled the tip of his wand around in the bowl so that the first memory he wanted to show started to show.

"When you boys are ready."

Harry and I looked at each other before we both took in a large breath and leaned forward, placing our faces into the bowl. The drop to the seats in the courtroom was as thrilling as it had been the first time I'd viewed a memory. It was such a rush to be able to jump right into someone's memory, more so than reading thoughts.

We dropped into a room that was much like a theatre with seats that rose up around at regular intervals, much like you'd find in a university in the muggle world. And just about every one of those seats was filled with witches and wizards of varying ages, races, and classes. I looked around to see this room was dimly lit by way of the various torches and sconces that were placed around the room. If I had to guess, by the fact there were no windows, I'd say that we were underground.

By far, the most disturbing thing though was the chair in the center of the room. It had chains circling the arms and legs, as though someone was supposed to be chained to the chair.

"Rather disturbing, isn't it?"

Both Harry and I jumped with the voice that appeared from behind us. We spun to see that the Moody who was in the trunk was sitting next to and smirking at his younger self.

"That chair in the middle. It gives off and ominous feeling, doesn't it?" Moody asked when we failed to answer.

I looked back to the center chair and observed all the witches and wizards watching it before I answered his question. "It does. What's it for?"

"Just watch," Moody murmured.

All the witches and wizards in the room were facing the circular basin at the bottom where the chair with the chains sat. They were all quiet and kind of morose. Whatever was going to happen was weighing on them all.

Everyone was quiet as they sat waiting and watching. I noted they weren't looking at the chair but at a door that was past the chair. In the wall of this cold, dark room. It was all silent until it wasn't. Harry seemed to jump with the sudden sound of footsteps that were approaching the door. I thought there would be more than one pair, considering what I thought this room was used for.

"Who's coming?" I asked quietly as if the people in this memory could hear me.

Moody grunted with displeasure. "Just wait."

The door at the back of the room flew open, startling just about everybody in the room, including Harry next to me. I knew what was going to come through that door the very second frosty breaths started coming from the witches and wizards in the room. But what shocked me more was the fact that the prisoner the two dementors were escorting was none other than …

"Professor Karkaroff …" Harry breathed from beside me. "He looks terrible."

"Nothin' that a little time in Azkaban won't do to ya," Moody said from behind us.

"So he was caught? Originally?" I murmured.

"Oh, yes. The slimy weasel. Continue watching."

The dementors guided Karkaroff to the chair in the middle; using some kind of magic at their disposal, they looped the chains up around Karkaroff's legs and arms, securing him tightly to the chair. Once the chains were secured, the dementors left through the door they came in, much to the relief of everyone in the room if the relaxed shoulders were anything to go by.

A cold detached voice rang out from below us. I looked down to see a younger, alive, and more youthful-looking Barty Crouch. "Igor Karkaroff, you have asked to be brought from Azkaban to provide evidence of other death eaters still at large and to, hopefully, reduce your sentence."

"I have," Karkaroff said as he straightened in his chair as best he could. "I-I-I want to b-b-be of help to the ministry. I will do anything …"

The crowd around the room started to titter and quietly chat about what they wanted from Karkaroff, including the Moody from this memory. "Filth," memory Moody mumbled, catching Dumbledore's attention. "He's going to get out, if he can provide enough names. It took me six months to track and catch him, and Crouch will let him out if he can provide enough names." Moody shook his head. "If you ask me, we should listen to him, then throw him back to the dementors."

Dumbledore seemed to make a noise that was half disgust and half disagreement.

"Oh, that's right," memory Moody chuckled. "You don't like the dementors."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I just don't think we should align ourselves with these creatures."

"Even for filth like this?"

Dumbledore's answer was interrupted by Barty Crouch talking to Karkaroff once more. "You say you have names for us? Let's have them, please?"

I looked to Professor Moody, who had joined us in his memory, while Karkaroff stumbled through trying to answer Mr. Crouch. "You still think that way, Professor?"

"I'm sure there have been criminals in the muggle world whom you thought should be left out to rot?" Moody growled in response. I nodded to answer his question. "These death eaters are the worst of the worst because they didn't just follow Voldemort, but they joined in with the tormenting, bullying, and torturing of the people who opposed or stood up to them. What would you have wanted?"

"I would have wanted them all locked up and had the key thrown away. But to subject them all to the torturous existence of the dementors day in and day out? Isn't that just cruel?"

Harry snorted. "As far as I'm concerned, they reaped what they sowed. Thanks to him, and them, I had to grow up without a mother."

I nodded along with Moody. "Fair enough."

Mr. Crouch's voice rang out over Karkaroff's fumbling excuses. "If you have no names for us, you will go back to Azkaban!"

"Antonin Dolohov!" Karkaroff very nearly shouted. "I saw him torture countless muggles and non-supporters of the Dark Lord!"

Memory Moody muttered from behind us, "And helped him do it."

"Dolohov was captured not long after yourself," Crouch said, sounding bored. "Any others?"

Karkaroff looked alarmed. Now that he knew one of his names was worthless, he had to be wondering how many more were also. I wished I could hear him.

"Rosier. Evan Rosier!"

"Rosier is dead. Preferred to fight instead of coming along quietly."

"Nothing more than he deserved!" Karkaroff agreed frantically.

"Took some of me with him, filthy bastard," Moody muttered from behind me, causing Harry and me to spin around. We found him pointing to the spot where part of his nose used to be. Harry cringed from beside me. He, like many others at school, had wondered what had happened to Moody's appearance over the years. Guess he'd gotten an answer to that question.

"Any more?" Crouch asked again.

"Yes," Karkaroff replied in a panic. "Travers—he helped murder McKinnons. Mulciber—he specialized in the imperious curse, forced many people to do terrible things. Rookwood—he was a spy. He passed information to he-who-must-not-be-named from inside the Ministry itself!"

This name struck a nerve, and not just with Crouch. All the assembled witches and wizards started whispering amongst themselves.

"Rookwood?" Crouch asked, nodding to a witch nearby, who started scribbling on a piece of parchment. "Augustus Rookwood of the Department of Mysteries?"

Karkaroff nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes, the very same. From what I know, he used a network of well-placed wizards both in and out of the ministry …"

Crouch cut Karkaroff off once more. "But Travers and Mulciber we have. Very good, Karkaroff. We will deliberate. In the meantime, you will be sent back to Azkaban …"

"Not yet, please, not yet. I have more. Snape! Severus Snape!"

"Snape has been cleared by this council," Crouch said, rather coldly, I might add. Like he didn't think he should have been. "Albus Dumbledore has vouched for him."

I snorted while rolling my eyes. Why was I not surprised by that?

"No!" shouted Karkaroff. "He is a death eater! I assure you!"

Both Harry and I spun around to look at Moody's memory of himself and Dumbledore, only to see Moody watch Dumbledore with great skepticism as Dumbledore stood up from his seat. "I have already given evidence on this matter. Severus Snape was a death eater before the downfall of Voldemort. He rejoined our ranks prior to Lord Voldemort's downfall and turned spy—at great personal risk, mind you—to feed us information."

At this, Harry snorted. _Not soon enough. He was there because Mum married Dad and had me. He could have saved her._

"Today, he is no more a death eater than I am," Dumbledore stated as he retook his seat. By the look on his face, he considered the subject closed. Like everyone should be of the same opinion.

Crouch nodded in Dumbledore's direction before turning back to Karkaroff. "Very well, Karkaroff. You have been useful. I will review your case. In the meantime, you will go back to Azkaban …"

Crouch's voice trailed off as we withdrew from that particular memory. The area around us turned dark grey, almost black, as we waited for whatever else Moody wanted to show us.

"Professor Dumbledore really believes in Snape, doesn't he?" Harry asked quietly as he turned to face Moody.

"He does." Moody nodded.

"But you do not?"

"Let me put it this way … I'm not sure a leopard like that can change its spots."

I smirked. "People used to say that about vampires."

"Ah, yes … but your family is an anomaly, even in the muggle world, am I correct?" Moody smirked back.

I laughed as the scene around us started to fill in once more. "Of that, you would be correct. We are an anomaly. Only one other group of vampires lives the same way we do."

"So, yes, leopards can change, but ones like Snape—who are inherently mean—usually cannot." Moody expanded on his thought from before just as we found ourselves back in the same courtroom from before.

_What the?_ Harry asked as we both looked around the room. _Oh, new memory. Different day._

"New trial," I whispered.

_This one is decidedly different. More relaxed. This one seems more … fun?_

"It reminds me of going to football games back in the muggle world."

Moody scoffed from behind us. "This was the biggest farce I'd ever seen in my days as an auror."

"Is that … Rita Skeeter?" Harry asked as he pointed to a young blonde witch with a short bob, wearing magenta robes and sucking on the end of an acid-green quill. I think she was trying to be coy, but it wasn't a look her face could pull off successfully. She actually looked like she was smug, about to get the scoop of the century.

"That would be her." I snickered. There would be no more scoops for this rag reporter.

"Hmph, there's a story there." Moody grunted. "One you'll have to tell me one day."

Both Harry and I laughed before we both said, "One day."

Our laughter cut off when the same door Karkaroff came through opened. Instead of a prisoner being escorted by dementors, Ludo Bagman walked into the room under his own steam. This wasn't the Ludo Bagman we knew. This was a man at the peak of his career. He didn't have a broken nose; he was leaner, more muscular than the current version. He was nervous, yes, but that didn't stop him from waving at a couple of swooning witches when he sat in the chair and the chains didn't immediately wrap him up to keep him there. In fact, he seemed to be emboldened by the fact that the chains didn't snake their way around the arms and legs of the chair.

"Ludo Bagman," Crouch's voice rang out coldly and clearly from where he was seated with Moody and Dumbledore. "You have been brought here, in front of the Council of Magical Law, to answer charges about the movements of death eaters. The evidence has been reviewed. Do you have any more to add?"

"_Ludo Bagman?_" Harry and I asked together before I continued. "He's too stupid to be a death eater."

Moody chuckled heartily from behind us. "You might be right about that!"

"I know I've been a bit of an idiot"—Bagman paused while there were a few giggles around the room—"but I didn't know …"

Crouch held up a hand to stop Ludo from talking. It seemed like he'd done this a lot over the years. "Ludovic Bagman, you were caught handing information to Lord Voldemort's supporters. For this, you should be sentenced to Azkaban for a period of …"

Pandemonium broke out around the courtroom. There were outcries from many witches and wizards, including physical demonstrations on how wrong they thought Barty Crouch was, but none was as loud as Ludo Bagman himself.

"I told you I had no idea!" he cried, his eyes as wide as saucers, fear taking over his features. "None at all! My dad was friends with Rookwood. I never would have thought he was in league with you-know-who. I thought I was gathering information for our side! He promised me a job in the Ministry when my Quidditch days were over. I mean … I can't keep getting hit by bludgers forever!"

There were a few laughs around the courtroom, allowing people to settle down and sit back in their seats.

"We'll put it to a vote," growled Crouch. "All those in favor of imprisonment?"

_Not one?_ Harry thought as he looked around.

I snorted. "That's not unusual. In the muggle world, celebrities, sports stars, even the rich, tend to have a different set of rules than everyone else. It's not right, not fair, but that's how it is."

Mr. Crouch was disappointed in his fellow members of the jury as was evidenced by the angry scowl on his face, but he was downright murderous when a fellow witch stood up from the bench and congratulated Ludo on his performance in the Quidditch match against Turkey the previous Saturday.

As Ludo Bagman took a bow and started signing some autographs, Barty Crouch growled under his breath to Dumbledore. "Despicable. Absolutely despicable. Rookwood get him a job in the Ministry … indeed. It would be a very cold day if Ludo Bagman ever joined the Ministry."

Harry and I burst into laughter as the courtroom faded away, causing Moody to chuckle at us. That very cold day must have come much sooner than Mr. Crouch would have liked. Our laughter faded as the courtroom faded in once more. The atmosphere this time was … tired, depressing, and a stark difference from before.

The silence was absolutely deafening, only broken by the sobs of a frail-looking witch with wispy white hair who was crying into an old-fashioned hanky. Something that went out in the muggle world years ago. She was sitting next to a gaunt, sickly looking Barty Crouch. His hair was decidedly greyer than it had been in the previous memories, and a nerve was twitching, ever so fast, right at his temple. He was stressed, and it showed.

"This is the one you should really take note of, Edward, Harry," Moody rumbled as he leaned forward from his seat. He looked like he wanted to take more notes of what happened this time, than his younger counterpart, who was looking much like the Moody we've come to know and love. It seems his years of being an auror had caught up with him.

"Bring them in," Crouch called out, his voice echoing through the chamber.

At Crouch's words, the door to the back of the chamber opened yet again. This time, however, there were four prisoners being led in by six dementors. They were led to four chairs, which had been placed center stage. I looked them over as each of the prisoners was placed in their chair and secured with the chains around them. There was a heavyset man, who stared blankly up at Crouch. A thinner, nervous looking man, whose eyes darted around the chamber, looking for danger or a way out, I wasn't sure. There was a woman with hooded eyes and thick, shining dark hair. She sat on her chair like it was a throne and all those around her should bow at her feet.

But it was the last one who really caught my attention, and not for the fact that he looked like he was only in his late teens. No, this one caught my attention because when the woman sitting next to Crouch saw him, she sobbed harder into her hanky and started rocking back and forth in her chair. This boy meant something to her. He was somebody important.

Crouch stood. He was stiff as a board, but his anger was palpable. If Jasper had been here in this memory, he would not have been able to contain the amount of anger that was rolling off of him in waves. He glared down at the four in the chairs, looking for all the world that he was going to fire the killing curse without any hesitation.

Crouch spoke, his voice clear and loud in the silence still enveloping the room. "You are here today, in front of the Council of Magical Law, so we may pass judgement on you for a crime so heinous …"

The next words spoken made my mouth drop open. It certainly explained a lot of Crouch's attitude.

"Father …" the teen cried out. "Father, please!"

"… that we have rarely heard the likes of it within this court." Crouch continued without even a passing glance at his son.

"Dear Merlin," I sighed as I spun to look at Moody. "He had to punish his own son?"

Moody nodded and pointed back to where Crouch was getting ready to continue.

"We have evidence that the four of you participated in the capture, and by means of the Cruciatus Curse, torture of Frank Longbottom. You did that believing he had information about your exiled master, he-who-must-not-be named …"

"I didn't, Father!" shrieked, who I now knew to be, young Barty Crouch Junior. "Father, don't send me back to the dementors!" When he could see that his pleas were having no effect on his father, he turned his pleading eyes to the woman next to him. "Mother, please don't let him do this. Mother, stop him. I didn't do it!"

"Furthermore," Senior bellowed, causing Junior to go silent, "you are accused of using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank's wife, Alice, when he could not give you the information you were searching for. The four of you planned to bring you-know-who back into power and continue living the destructive, deadly lives you were presumably living beforehand. I now ask the jury …"

Junior started pleading again for his father to hear him, his mother to stop what was happening, and that he didn't do what they were accusing him of.

I looked over my shoulder at Moody. "Professor, who are the other death eaters with Junior?"

"That would be Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange and his brother Rabastan. Surely, you recognize him?" Moody smirked. He knew that name would draw recognition.

"Oh … really? That makes sense." I nodded, turning back to the proceedings.

Crouch turned his back on not only his son but the other three people tied up in chains. "So, I ask you, members of the jury, if you believe as I do to raise your hands and sentence these four to life imprisonment in Azkaban."

In unison, the jury made up of the right side of the room raised their hands as one. Once the verdict was delivered, Junior started screaming at his mother and father, pleading for them to save him.

But it was Bellatrix my eyes fell to because, as the dementors came in to take them back to Azkaban, she stood tall and proud. She looked up at Senior, defiance in her eyes, and said in a calm voice, "The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban, and we will wait. He will rise again, he will come for us, and he will reward us for our faithfulness. Because, beyond any of his followers, we alone believed. We alone tried to find him!"

_She's completely crazy._ Harry looked over at me wide eyed. _Were all their followers like that?_

"Those who follow cult leaders, crazy leaders, are usually just as crazy themselves. Especially the most devoted ones."

The three Lestranges walked out with the dementors like it was the utmost honor to be in their presence. Junior was trying to fight them, all while calling out for his parents, but we could see the effect the dementors were having on him.

"But I'm your son!" Junior yelled out as a last ditch effort to have his father save him.

Senior's eyes bulged maniacally. "You are no son of mine!" he shouted. "I have no son!"

Mrs. Crouch fainted away at the words Senior had spoken and as her son was pulled out of the chamber by the dementors. The whole scene dropped into chaos as the other witches and wizards shouted and cursed the captives.

"Time to go." Moody placed a hand on each of our shoulders and pulled us back toward the surface of his pensieve. "A lot to take in, wasn't it?"

"That was really Mr. Crouch's son? In that last memory?" Harry asked, still in disbelief.

"It was."

"Did he really torture Neville's parents?"

Moody sighed. "It's entirely possible that the way he acted in the courtroom was just that—an act. But because they were unable to give good evidence, it's entirely possible he was innocent, just like he proclaimed."

"That's a diplomatic answer if I ever heard one. What do you really think?" I smirked at Moody.

"I thought he was guilty as sin then, and even more so now, considering he's been in contact with Voldemort. Watch your backs, but let things play out as they should. For us to truly rid the world of Voldemort, he must come back."

The three of us were silent, thinking about everything we had seen and everything that could be coming for us. I was just about to call for Kreacher to come and take us back to the Common Room when Harry spoke up, breaking up the silence. "Professor, why do you think my scar hurts when I dream of Voldemort?"

"Because that is no ordinary scar, Harry. It's a link between you and him because of that failed spell."

"You don't think I'm dreaming these things, do you?" Harry murmured.

Moody shook his head. "No, Harry. I think these things are actually happening. My theory is that when Voldemort is feeling particularly … nasty or mean …"

"I can see inside his head."

I wasn't sure what that would mean for us going forward, but I had to hope it was a one-way connection, otherwise that would mean Voldemort could see what Harry was up to. And that would not bode well for the future.

~*~UHS~*~

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**I'm looking forward to your thoughts and theories ... See you in a fortnight.**


	21. Chapter Twenty - The Third Task

**Hello everyone! Welcome to the final posting of Book Four for 2019. I hope that all of you had a wonderful and enjoyable Christmas. Mine was busy, but good, considering the whole family was at my place for the day.**

**This year would not have been as successful if not for my pre-reader, Pienuniek, and my Beta, Sally Hopkinson. They are the best team I could have ever asked for - I wish you all the best for 2020. Thank you, ladies.**

**I don't own Twilight and Harry Potter. They belong to Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling, I just borrow them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'm sure this is the chapter that you have wanted to get to. I'll let you get to it.**

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**Chapter Twenty – The Third Task**

"He had to have closed his heart that day," Hermione commented after we had returned from Moody.

Harry and I had spoken to Bella at length before classes had been dismissed. Between the three of us, we decided it would be best to fill the others in on what we had learned from the pensieve and about Harry's scar.

Fleur looked at Hermione like she couldn't believe that was the first thing she thought about. "What do we do about ze link between 'Arry and he-who-must-not-be-named?"

Harry shrugged, but it was me who answered. "I'm not sure there is anything we can do at this moment in time. But we can do what Moody has asked and keep track of anything that seems like a vision—be it dream or otherwise—and try to figure out what we can do about it when the time comes."

"Do we really believe that Harry is seeing through Voldemort? I'm not saying he's not, but what if he isn't?" Neville held his hands up when Harry shot him a dirty look.

"Do you think I could really think these things? That I want to torment somebody with that curse?" Harry fumed, standing from his seat and pacing around the room. "I don't want to be connected to a murderer. I didn't ask for this to happen to me!" He spun around, facing Neville, and pointed at him. "This could have easily been you! Voldemort could have picked you!"

"Yeah? And if he did, it would be your parents in the infirmary at St. Mungo's, tortured by a madman's faithful followers and raised by a grandmother who was disappointed with you at every turn. At least, you still have a loving parent and a doting godfather!" Neville stood and walked toward the door. "I'm thankful for the information you've given me, but I need some time to myself."

Nobody spoke until after Neville had walked out of the room.

"I didn't mean it like that," Harry whispered.

"And neither did Neville." Bella looked over at Harry. "He was playing devil's advocate. Just because Moody thinks these dreams, visions, whatever, are a connection between you, doesn't make it true. It's why we need to research what happened when the curse failed, track the dreams, or visions, and what happens in them. See if they get more intense, more detailed, and if we can follow where he is."

Viktor grunted. "The more information we can gather, the better. If he's truly making a comeback, it can only help us be prepared."

"I'm going to get my dad to research the first wizarding war …" Luna hummed. "I'll get grandfather to work with him to document everything he remembers too."

"That's a smart thing to do." I nodded to Luna. "We should all have family members outside of Hogwarts do the same thing."

"And what do we do in the meantime?" Ginny asked.

I smirked. "That's easy. We need to practice some spells that are going to be helpful in a giant maze, starting with the four-point spell."

~*~UHS~*~

With the date of the third task fast approaching, we all took every spare moment to practice several of the spells we already knew. We did start with the four-point spell, which would help to guide us through the maze by showing us whether we needed to go north, south, east, or west at every intersection. But we also practiced spells like the impediment jinx, which could freeze an attacker, or a beast, in its tracks for a few minutes so we could run by it. Another spell we thought might be helpful was the Reducto curse. This spell would be handy for blasting an obstacle into pieces.

The last one we had everyone practicing was one Bella and I had talked about on several occasions. The shield charm, Protego. Even though Bella was close to finishing my vest, everyone else would be left unshielded. So, in one of our many conversations about this upcoming task, we decided that the others should learn it.

"Ugh … I am never going to get zis right!" Fleur was the one who had been having the hardest time with mastering her spells.

Yes, she was a Veela like Bella, and should have had no difficulty in getting them right, but because she had been taught to use her womanly wiles instead of mastering her magic, she was having a harder time mastering spells that she should have found easy.

"You will, Fleur," Bella soothed. "You've just gotta feel the magic. Let's do an exercise. Close your eyes for me."

I smiled. This was an exercise Harry had taught Neville back in first year. At the time, Harry had only been instructing Neville on how to reach the magic inside him, but Bella and I had followed along with his instructions and found out how to reach our inner magic and to tap into it.

It wasn't just Fleur who listened to Bella this time either. Viktor was also listening in, even though he wasn't having as hard a time using the spells as Fleur. Gabrielle was also paying very close attention to the goings-on with her sister, and I watched amused as she followed along with Bella's instructions.

"I want you to look deep inside yourself, find that center of your magic, where it comes from deep within." Bella paused while the three of them closed their eyes. "Can you feel it? Right there in your chest?" She waited, once again, until they nodded. "Now, Gabrielle, you're going to have to wait until you get your wand to practice this, but, Fleur, Viktor, keep your eyes closed, feel that magic flow from your center, down your arm, and out the wand as you cast the spell. The wand is only a tool to guide your magic, to use your magic, but you are the one to control it."

Gabrielle, while keeping track of her magic, opened her eyes to watch what Viktor and Fleur were able to do. Both of them kept their eyes closed but pointed their wands, made the top to bottom motion, and both said "Protego!"

With a flash of silver, both wands produced opaque shields that would protect both Viktor and Fleur from frontal attacks.

"Well done!" Bella cheered, clapping her hands. "See, you did it!"

Fleur was stunned silent for a moment before she dropped her wand and flung herself at Bella. It took me a moment to realize that Fleur was crying.

"Thank you, Bella, thank you. I've never been able to learn spells like zis. Merlin's beard, why have I never been taught to do zis?"

"We only learned it while Harry was helping Neville. It's not something that's commonly known." I smiled in Fleur's direction. "It's not something that a lot of people teach their children, it seems. But it'll be something we will share in the future."

_With our children, right, Edward?_ Bella thought at me with a secret smile in my direction.

I laughed. "Right, Bella."

For the rest of the afternoon, we were able to practice the four spells we had deemed important and taught Fleur a few more. I had a feeling our summer would be filled with questions about what we had been learning in our first years of school. Maybe I would give Fleur the books we used for those years.

By the time we left the Room of Requirement, both Fleur and Viktor had mastered the four spells. We were as ready as we were ever going to be.

~*~UHS~*~

"It's not fair," Bella whined as she got ready for class on the day of the third task. "Why don't you guys have to do finals?"

I snorted. "I don't think we should be skipping them, Bella. But we champions are out there risking our lives for entertainment after all."

"Risking your lives. Ha!"

I couldn't help chuckling at her indignation before I leaned over and kissed her to stop her rambling on. "I would much rather be in class with you, sweet girl, but I have to go to this lunch thing for the champions."

Bella sighed. "I know. It just seems silly that you spend all year in class, but you won't be tested on any of it. Not that you need it. You'd pass with flying colors."

"As will you. Come on, I'll walk you to class before heading off for the luncheon."

"Can you? Do you have enough time?"

"For you? I have all the time in the world."

Bella beamed up at me and went to reach out for her bag. I snatched it up before she had the chance, then held out my hand for her to hang on to. Once she was ready, I led her out of the portrait and down the stairs. We made small talk until we reached the door to the Transfiguration classroom.

"Good luck, Bella. I'll see you when you're done for the day."

"Thanks, Edward. I have something for you when you're done."

"Then I can't wait to see you."

I gave her a gentle, lingering kiss before leaving her and making my way to the room off the Great Hall for the champions' luncheon. I'm surprised by the people who are there when I walk through the door. I had assumed—I know, right?—that it would just be the headmasters, the judges, ministry officials, and the champions. But what I find is so much better. Sure, the judges and headmasters are there, but Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice are all there too. As well as Sirius and Shane, and last but not least is an older couple who I have never met before. Although, considering they are standing with none other than Viktor Krum, I'm guessing they are his parents.

"Welcome, Edward. I'm glad you could join us!" Dumbledore said as I walked through the door. He said it in such a way that I wasn't sure if he was being sincere or not, and I couldn't be bothered delving into his thoughts—if he had them open—to find out.

"No worries. I just wanted to walk Bella to class before I came. I'm sure that isn't a problem, right?"

"Not at all, my boy. You are the last to arrive however, so shall we begin?"

I nodded and went to join Harry and Fleur with the rest of our family.

Dumbledore walked to the center of the room and looked around at everyone. "Welcome to everyone joining us. This luncheon is a chance for the families of our champions to get to know, not only their competition, but the headmasters and officials who have pulled this tournament together. It's so nice to see you all here today, and I look forward to spending time with all of you."

"Edward," Esme sighed as she reached out to hug me, "how have things been going? I don't see you as much."

"I'm sorry, Ma. But I don't need to take Muggle Studies. I think I lived in that world long enough to know just about everything they do." I laughed.

"I know that, dear." Esme cupped my face as the others around chuckled at us.

"What are you all doing here? Not that I'm not grateful." I backpedaled when I saw their faces drop.

Emmett put his nose in the air. "We're not here for you. Viktor invited us incase his parents didn't show up. They haven't spoken a lot since he was drafted for Bulgaria and Karkaroff became his manager."

"And we're here for Fleur," Alice said while she walked over to our newest family member. "Much like we were in the second task."

I held my hands up in a placating manner. "I apologize, and I stand corrected. I'm glad to see you all nonetheless."

Carlisle looked around. "Wasn't Bella able to come with you?"

"No. And neither was Gabrielle. She's currently somewhere reading up for next year."

"Hmph, none of zat will matter," a voice sounded out from behind me. It seemed that Madame Maxime had gained some courage, although she had waited until Fleur was over on the other side of the room with Alice and Jasper. Not that it made a difference if her hearing was as good as Bella's. "Zis is just a little bump in ze road. Fleur and Gabrielle will be back at Beauxbatons next year. Zere is no doubt about zat."

I spun to face one of the most infuriating women I have ever met in my life. "I think you may be wrong about that. From what Fleur has told me, she has learned more about magic in the last few weeks with us than in the seven years she's been at Beauxbatons. If that isn't telling, I don't know what is."

I heard Fleur snicker from the other side of the room as I spun back around, leaving Madame Maxime with her mouth hanging open. Esme and Carlisle followed me as I made my way over to Harry, Sirius, and Shane to say hello.

Harry snorted. "You know, if her face is any indication, I think you're not going to get many points in the final task."

"That won't make any difference. The last task isn't measured in points," Sirius said from next to me. Both Harry and I looked at Sirius with what must have been a questioning look all over our faces because he elaborated for us. "The points you earned in the first two rounds are what's going to determine the order of your entrance into the maze. The one with the highest points enters first, second highest next, and so on until all entrants are running around the maze, trying to find out how to win."

"Oh," Harry murmured. "So, it's going to be a race to the finish?"

Shane nodded. "Exactly that. Whoever reaches the center of the maze will win."

I held out my hand to Harry, a cheeky smirk on my face. "May the fastest of us win!"

Harry laughed and shook my hand. "Ha! May the one who was chosen be the winner!"

"May the one who has experienced fame be the winner!" Viktor said in his gruff manner as he placed his hand on top of ours.

Fleur's hand joined us last. "No, may ze one with the fairest hair be ze winner. You know, ze smartest of us all."

The three of us boys looked at Fleur in shock before all four of us burst out laughing. It was going to be a great run through the maze.

~*~UHS~*~

We spent the next few hours talking among ourselves and making small talk with people we barely knew. Eventually though, we were released to go relax before the third task later that afternoon.

"What are you guys doing now?" I asked as we all stood in the arch of the massive doorway.

Harry shrugged, as did Viktor, but it was Fleur who answered. "I waz just going to read in my room. Why?"

"I have something I want to show you. Follow me."

The other three nodded and followed as we discreetly snuck our way up to the Room of Requirement. The room provided our normal set up, and we all took seats around the table. Once seated, I reached into my bag and pulled out some matching pieces of parchment. As I placed them down, one in front of each of my friends, I studied their faces. They were a range of surprised to nervous.

"First up, I want to apologize to you guys. I drew up this map from my memory before I checked a map that I already have of Hogwarts. What I have here, however"—I pointed at the parchment I had laid out—"is a copy of the maze that we'll be going through tonight."

"Zat is really helpful, Edward. What are you apologizing for zough?" Fleur asked as she unrolled the map to look it over.

"I didn't think about it at the time, but that maze is not going to be as simple and straightforward as turning corners. Once I thought that, I checked my map." I spread my map, already displaying Hogwarts, out on the table in front of everyone. "As you can see here"—I pointed down to where the quidditch pitch was usually—"there are some hedges on the map that are moving around to make new corridors and new dead ends. The reason I'm apologizing is because I didn't have time to make sure that your maps showed the same thing."

Harry reached for his map. "That shouldn't matter too much. We'll still be able to track where we are by following the map, and we should be able to track back and make it to where we need to be."

"It's the thought that counts," Viktor said, reaching for his own. "I take it that it's a complicated procedure that would take longer than we have this afternoon."

"Yeah," I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "According to Sirius, it would take at least three days because there needs to be time between spells and potions. I really am sorry, guys."

The three of them waved me off but leaned over to study the marauder's map. We all watched as the hedges seemed to move with no rhyme or reason. Well, at least that we could see. I'm sure there was one, but we had limited time to try and figure it out.

It was while we were trying to figure it out that Bella made her way into the Room of Requirement.

"Afternoon, champions!" she cheered when she saw we were all there. "How are we all feeling?"

There was a chorus of "nervous", "worried", "anxious", and an "in love" from me. It was one of those moments where Bella's presence stunned me stupid. I loved those moments, even if they were few and far between, because it meant that slowly but surely, our love story was evolving and changing.

Bella reached me, leaning down to plant one on me. "Back at ya." She spun back to the others. "But I know you'll all do great. We couldn't have asked for a better group of champions." Bella gave each of them a look, one that was comforting to them, if their thoughts were any indication. "Fleur, Gabrielle was looking for you. Viktor, so was Professor Karkaroff—he was pissed, so be careful. And Harry, Shane wanted to see you before the feast tonight."

With a round of "Thanks, Bella!" the other three stood, gave hugs, and exited the room without ever noticing that Bella was hiding something.

"Turn into an owl while you were in class, sweetheart?"

"No," Bella giggled, coming to sit by my side. "Somehow, they all just knew I would be coming to find you and that the other champions would be with you."

"Mmhmm, I'm sure. And how many of those reasons were made up ones?"

Bella gasped, placing a hand on her chest, feigning shock. "None of them. They were all valid reasons that I heard while coming to find you."

I laughed. "In other words, you heard them being said to someone around you and used those to clear the room."

"Maybe just a little." Bella held her forefinger and her thumb only a centimeter apart.

We sat for a few minutes just reveling in the silence because we knew it was going to get so much louder tonight.

"Why did you need to get rid of the others?"

"First, there was this …" Bella stood and actually straddled my lap.

"Bella …" I warned. She was still too young. Only fourteen last year. She was to be fifteen in three months. I wasn't sure she was ready for this … I wasn't sure I was ready …

"It's okay. We aren't ready for more than what we've done. I just want to be close to you."

And even though I was a little apprehensive of the position we were in, I couldn't help but pull her closer to me when she leaned in, wrapped her arms around my head with her fingers gripping my hair, and pressed her lips to mine. While the kiss was still innocent—all closed mouth—it was deeper, more intense than any we had shared to date. I was glad that other parts of my body weren't reacting as they should, just yet. That didn't mean I didn't feel the desire this kiss could, and would, elicit from me in the future; it just meant that certain areas of my body didn't show that reaction just yet. I didn't know how much longer that would last though.

"Mmmm," Bella hummed as she pulled away with a small smile on her face. "It's kisses like that, and the feelings that you evoke in me, that makes me excited for the future."

"You have no idea. Was there something else you wanted?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Bella jumped up from my lap and ran over to the bag she had dumped on the floor when she walked through the door of the Room of Requirement. She pulled something out and held it up for me to inspect. "I've got it finished, and just in time too."

What Bella had done with the bulletproof vest was nothing short of amazing. While still black in color, she had disguised it as a suit vest that would fit in with the uniform I wore when I competed in the tournament. Somehow, she had added a few additional pockets. I leaned forward to reach out and touch, just to see if she'd managed to keep the integrity and feel of the original bulletproof vest.

"This looks fantastic, baby girl. Does it work?"

"Why don't you try it on, and I can throw some spells at you?"

I stood, reaching for the vest. "I can't wait to see."

Bella handed it over and watched as I undid the buttons to slip it on over my uniform. Once it was on, I refastened the buttons. I spread my hands out and looked up at Bella.

"Well?" I asked when she failed to say anything. "Does it fit like you wanted?"

"I'm so lucky." She sighed before shaking her head to clear her thoughts, causing me to snicker, before flicking her wand from her gauntlet. "I think it fits really well, and it's just like I imagined it would be. Shall we see if I've got it?"

I grinned at her. "Give me your worst."

With a flick of her wand and an "Expelliarmus," the spell hit me directly in the chest. Now usually, a spell like that would send me back several feet. Especially from Bella. But this time, I was lucky if I had to take a full step backward. The vest seemed to take the impact from the spell, and the spell itself, and absorb it.

My mouth dropped open. I knew that was what Bella had been aiming for, but the result was so much more than I could have hoped for. "Bella …" I breathed "… my God. This is brilliant. I have no words."

"Of course." Bella huffed. "Didn't you believe I could?"

My head snapped up from my appraisal of the vest. I was at her side in an instant. "Of course, I did, Bella. But the result far outweighed what I had expected. Even though I had no idea what to expect. What you did, what you can do when you set your mind to it, is mind-boggling. Bella, you are a genius."

"Really?"

"Really." I stood, kissing her on the lips, then on her forehead. Whenever she felt vulnerable and unsure, I found that kissing her forehead made her feel protected and strong. "You are better than I ever dreamed for myself, smarter than I can completely comprehend, and so much more than I deserve. I love you, Bella. And your mind just blows me away." I ran my hands along the vest she had given me. "This is … phenomenal."

Bella beamed. "Let me show you what else I've added in …"

For a short while, Bella showed me all the adaptations she had made to the vest, including extendable pockets for anything I might like to take into the maze with me or whenever I wore it. Say for an upcoming war.

"You truly have created something spectacular, Bella. I'm honored that you've made it for me. And I love the detailing on the back. Just like my other one."

"Yeah, I did that on purpose. Can't have everyone knowing you're wearing a different vest, after all."

I kissed Bella with as much passion as I could. "Smart girl." I could hear the rest of the castle starting to head for the Great Hall. With a flick of my wand, I was in my Triwizard uniform. I held out my arm, just like my father had done with my mother. "Shall we go to the great feast?"

Bella smiled, and with a flick of her wand, her clothes changed to the ones that matched my own. Hers had MASEN written across the back and the same lion that was sequined on my own. She looped her arm through mine. "We shall. And we shall come back from this task victorious."

~*~UHS~*~

I don't think I'd ever heard the noise level in the Great Hall as loud as it was as Bella and I stepped into the room.

_My goodness. What's going on in here?_ Bella thought, looking around as we made our way to our seats at the Gryffindor table. _Dumbledore doesn't usually let things get this rowdy._

"He won't let it be so for long."

"Edward!" the twins shouted together when we reached the table. "Are you ready?"

"More than you'll ever know. What's going on?"

"Not a damn clue!" Fred shouted again. "But isn't it awesome!"

I snickered at him and those around him. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were all drunk.

The noise continued on for several more minutes before Dumbledore did stand from the teachers' table. I looked around and saw many familiar faces sitting there. Our family, the judges, teachers, and one Percy Weasley, sitting where Barty Crouch Senior should have sat.

_I'm officially the judge replacing Mr. Crouch, Edward. He's gone, isn't he?_ Percy looked me dead in the eye as he asked the question. I could only nod in response. I watched as Percy drew in a deep breath, let it out, and nodded just once. _I thought as much. Thank you._

"Eat up, everyone. The final task of the Triwizard Tournament will start after this delicious feast." Dumbledore clapped his hands just once, and the food appeared on the plates in front of us. "Enjoy!"

Over dinner everyone mingled. The Beauxbatons who stayed sat among the Hogwarts tables, not isolated by themselves. As did the Durmstrang boys. It was one of the loudest dinners we had ever attended in Hogwarts, and not one of the teachers was doing anything about it.

_Wonder if they'd be celebrating so hard if they knew what was coming at the end of the tournament._ Bella's stray thought entered my brain. Not that all of them didn't flow through there on a second to second basis.

"Probably not, Bella," I whispered at vampire pitch, "but then we don't know what is really happening at the end of this, so we should just enjoy it for what it is."

_Okay._ Bella nodded with her thought and went back to celebrating the end of school, exams, and the Triwizard Tournament. Because, for as much as she had enjoyed me showing off my prowess for all to see and for her to bask in when I declared my wins for her, she wanted this tournament over. Bella wanted me safe in her arms.

But that also meant that something worse was probably coming. And that was the part neither she, nor I, were looking forward to.

Halfway through dessert, Professor Dumbledore stood from the teachers' table and walked around to the front to the podium. Once he was standing there, the Great Hall fell silent. He stood there, looking out over the faces staring up at him.

"We have come a long way since the beginning of the year when the houses were separated, and the schools separated from each other. Now, we are one—we are together. We have made friendships that will go beyond just this tournament." Dumbledore sighed and looked around again. "But tonight … tonight is not about contemplation. It's not about looking backwards or forwards. Tonight is about the final task." He had to pause as every person in the hall clapped madly. "The four champions—Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, Edward Masen, and Harry Potter—will now make their way to the champions' tent for a few last-minute instructions while you all finish your dessert. God speed and good luck!"

Bella placed her hands on either side of my face, looking deeply into my eyes. To keep this moment private, she spoke to me from her mind. _You be safe, Edward Masen. You be safe and come back to me because if Voldemort manages to take you from me, there will be no place safe on earth for him. I will end him before I join you._

I leaned my forehead against Bella's and closed my eyes. "You will be protecting me every step of the way. There is no way I'll not be coming home to you in one piece. Nothing will happen to me, Bella. I love you."

"I love you too, Edward. Go. Win."

I kissed Bella once, as I opened my eyes, before standing to cheers from my fellow students. I met Harry, Fleur, and Viktor at the doors to the Great Hall where we turned and bowed to everyone. With one last wave, and a wink to my girl, we walked out of the hall.

Every single one of us was stunned as we entered into the main arena of the quidditch pitch on our way to the champions' tent. The hedges had certainly grown in the time since we had been brought here. They now stood at least twenty feet tall. They towered over all of us.

"Merlin's beard," Fleur muttered, staring straight up. "I did not expect zem to be zat tall."

"I'm not sure any of us did," Harry said in return. "There will certainly be no stepping over them this time."

I snorted because, while Harry was right about us not stepping over them, I'd still be able to jump them if needed. Viktor gave me a rueful smile as we stepped into the tent. Once again, it was set up with four sections, with beds, just as it had been for the first task. I sat down on the bed designated for me and closed my eyes, waiting to see what happened next.

I could hear when the students started leaving the castle and made their way for the stands around the pitch. I could hear teachers trying to shepherd them away from the tent we were in. I could also hear the thoughts of my family, my Bella, and the rest of our friends as they tried to get prime seating. In fact, I couldn't help but laugh as Bella stood at the end of a front row and glared down at the occupants until they moved and gave her the seats she wanted. It seemed nobody wanted to mess with her tonight. She managed to clear out the entire row, giving enough room for all of our friends and family to sit.

I stood when the judges and Ludo Bagman entered the tent. Dumbledore motioned to the champions to move in closer.

"I wanted to congratulate you before you all made your way into the arena for the start of this task. You have all performed admirably during this tournament. I could not have asked for more. Take the next few minutes to relax and prepare yourselves for this next task."

"Thank you, sir," we all said together, and then watched as all the officials left the tent.

Viktor snorted. "Well, that was a brilliant pep talk. I have had better ones before a match."

"For as happy as they are with how the tournament has gone, they're still upset at the level of comradery we've developed. Even though that was the aim."

"So zey wanted it how zey wanted it, not how it unfolded?" Fleur asked.

I nodded. "Pretty much. Especially what happened with you, Bella, and our family."

"You guys do have a knack for collecting strays." Harry laughed. "It started with my family and me."

I patted Harry on the back. "And we wouldn't have it any other way, but really, Carlisle started it years ago with me."

It was while we were laughing and joking around, trying to relax ourselves, that I heard something that caused some serious concern.

_The cup is in place. Putting the extra spell on it was harder than I thought, but I got it done. The Dark Lord will be pleased._

The voice wasn't one that I recognized. But I could guess who it was.

"Welcome, welcome!" My thoughts were interrupted this time by Ludo Bagman. "Tonight marks the end of a spectacular moment in history. The resurgence of the Triwizard Tournament!" Bagman stopped speaking as cheers and screams rose up from the crowd.

Granted, a lot of people remembered the spectacle of the second task and were concerned about what was going to happen this time. But their worries were somewhat eased when they saw the maze in the quidditch pitch. They wondered what—if anything—could happen in a maze.

"Our four champions have shown exemplary dedication by not only competing against each other, but using their abilities to overcome the obstacles placed in front of them. Please welcome to center stage, with seventy-one points, the champion who decided to compete for herself, not for a school, Fleur Delacour!"

Fleur exited the tent with her usual flair to rousing applause and cheers from the gathered audience. I could tell from Madame Maxime's and Professor Dumbledore's thoughts they weren't happy with the fact that Fleur had continued to refuse to be affiliated with a school. They had kept her in the competition because of the magical binding agreement with being drawn from the Goblet of Fire, so they really had no choice. It was the same reason they'd had to keep Harry in the tournament at the beginning.

"Also, with a total of seventy-one points, your quidditch king and Durmstrang champion, Viktor Krum!"

Viktor nodded to Harry and me and exited the tent as quietly as he did everything else. Although, the difference this time was that Viktor held his head high and waved to the crowd that was screaming for him. I was glad he was finally accepting the accolades he so rightly deserved.

"Now, girls, you all learned that this one is completely off the market. He has been since he entered the wizarding world nearly five years ago. He's also the resident student vampire. With a total of eighty-five points, please welcome the Hogwarts champion, Edward Masen!"

I gave Harry a gentle pat on the shoulder as I passed him and made my way out to the arena. I found Bella and the others standing in the front row, clapping and cheering for me. Although, I could see the fear in Bella's and Alice's thoughts.

_Before you ask, I haven't seen anything else. I would have written if I had. Sorry, Edward,_ Alice thought in my direction.

I smiled at Bella while shrugging my shoulders a little. Alice would see it and know it was for her while everyone else would think I was shrugging off the attention. I also raised my hand to run it through my hair but tapped my temple subtly.

Bella's eyebrows rose at that. _You heard something. Something that you hadn't heard before._ When I looked down, then back up, she knew that I had. _I'll keep an ear, and eye, out._

When I reached Viktor and Fleur, Bagman spoke again. "And our surprise entrant, the one who snuck through when no other underage wizard was able too, also with eighty-five points and tied for first place, Hogwarts second champion, Harry Potter!"

Harry came out of the tent with swagger. He ran, arms in the air, putting on a show for everyone to see and cheer for.

"That's our boy!" Ludo cheered above the crowd. Once Harry joined us, Ludo spoke for a second time. "Tonight, our four champions are going to take a trip through the maze in front of us. This is no ordinary maze. It's designed to test them, to push them to their very limits. There will be obstacles to overcome. But it's not just those that will test our champions because things change in the maze. People change.

"While our champions are running around in the maze, teachers will be patrolling the outside. Specifically, Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody, Professor Flitwick, and Hagrid. If the contestants get in trouble, all they need to do is send red sparks into the air. The aim of this task is to reach the Triwizard Cup that Professor Moody has placed in the center of the maze."

Bella was watching me closely so I ran my hand through my hair, tapping my temple once more.

_You heard Moody … uh, Junior before?_ I nodded to her enquiry. _Right, and whatever he thought was concerning?_ I nodded again. _Okay. I'll send someone to watch him since he'll be patrolling the maze. Now, did you remember everything?_

I smirked, holding up a wallet that I had manipulated.

Bella snorted. _Why didn't you put it all in the pockets of the vest? _She snorted again. _You didn't really have the time. Do it when you get in the maze. It'll be easier to dig them out._

I nodded slightly, blowing her a kiss.

_Love you, too. Be safe._

"The two tasks held before gave us points that tell us when the champions will enter the maze. Seeing that Edward and Harry are tied for first place, they will enter the maze first with a five-minute head start." Ludo indicated the maze behind us. We spun to see that the maze had four entrances, each color coded to match our uniforms, to indicate where we were to stand. Harry and I made our way to our respective entrances.

"There is no time limit on this task. It will take the champions as long as it takes. Once the champion reaches the cup in the middle, all they have to do is touch it, and it'll bring them back here, ending the Triwizard Tournament."

_Oh, no!_ I thought, spinning back to Bella. That was what he had done.

_We'll handle it, Edward. You just come back to me and bring Harry with you._ I nodded to Bella's thoughts once again.

"Edward and Harry will enter the maze on the sound of the cannon. So, Mr. Filch, on the count of three. One … Two …" Before Ludo got to three, Filch sounded the cannon.

With a last glance at Harry, then at Bella, I made my way into the maze. I could only hope that Bella managed to get Junior under supervision.

Once I was out of sight of the judges and the crowd, the silence settled in. It wasn't the normal silence that you had when you were by yourself. This silence was anticipatory. Like it was expecting something. Like something was watching you from the dark corners that lurked around every part of the maze. For a short moment, even I was disturbed by the silence that lingered.

Instead of focusing on the lack of noise, I pulled my wallet from the back pocket of my pants and started to pull the things out to place into the pockets of my vest. I had probably overthought the things I needed as I pulled out notebooks, pens, a flashlight, and empty vials. I placed a lot of that into my right pocket, seeing as I had my wand in that hand.

If I wanted to have easy access to things, my left pocket would be the place to keep them. So, in the left pocket, I placed a myriad of potions I had concocted from the books Charlie had left behind. These were potions that I would be able to throw at obstacles to clear the way for me to pass through. We had thought of as many different things as possible, from actual obstacles, the moving hedges, different animals, to Junior himself.

I was so distracted by the fact that I was filling my pockets that I was caught completely off-guard when one of Hagrid's blast-ended Skrewts stepped into my path. I froze, looking over the Skrewt, trying to determine which end I was at. It wasn't until I saw the end facing me start to open that I knew which end I was facing. And that wasn't going to be good for me.

I reached into my left pocket, feeling for a teardrop-shaped bottle. Once I found it, I pulled it out, waited until the Skrewt was ready to spew fire, then I threw the bottle. It shattered in front of the fire end of the Skrewt, and just as the fire started to spew out, the potion burst forth and froze the fire blast coming toward me.

I was so glad that worked. Thank you, Charlie.

I managed to keep an eye on Harry as I made my way farther into the maze. So far, he hadn't encountered anything, which I knew was strange. Harry could feel that he was being watched. And if I had to hazard a guess, I would say he was being watched by Junior.

Tuning into the thoughts from outside the ring, I could hear that very thing from Junior. It seemed with the fact that Harry was now in the maze and heading in the direction that he wanted him, his thoughts were wide open. But it was another pair of thoughts I heard that gave me hope. Bella had indeed found someone to watch Junior—two someones. Kreacher and Dobby were shadowing him as he made his way around the maze.

My girl was brilliant. Who better to follow a dark wizard than someone who was able to blend into the background? House elves were very rarely noticed, even when they were outside a building.

I faintly heard the sound of the cannon announcing the entrance of Viktor and Fleur, so I knew they'd be making their way to the center of the maze as quickly as they could. I pulled out the map to see where I should go next. The maze was seriously huge, and even I could probably get lost in here, especially if the hedges were continuously moving around.

As I looked down at the map, I could see the hedges were already moving. Well, at least, they were in my section of the map. I could see Fleur and Viktor making their way through the beginning stages of the maze, but it was Harry my eyes fell to. I watched as he wandered farther ahead and farther into the maze, unencumbered. There was no movement from anything in the maze.

And it was just as I had that thought that the hedges around me started to move. At first, I froze. I had known they moved, I had seen it on the map, but being in among it was something entirely different.

It started with a strong wind blowing in from the left, and when I say strong, I mean that if I were a human, I would have had trouble moving against it. As it was, the strength of this wind even terrified me. Anyone who has seen the movie "Twister" will know that heavy things always fly better in strong winds. Instead of looking at the map to decide what way I should go, I folded the map, placed it in my pocket, and just bolted.

For the next few minutes, as the wind not only pushed me in every direction but fought against me at every turn, I ran through the maze. I didn't pay attention to any direction I was running; I just ran because it wasn't just the wind that was causing me concern. The hedges weren't just moving to close the end of the aisles. Nooooo, they were reaching out to grab a hold of me and closing the aisles both in front of and behind me as I ran through.

I couldn't tell you how long I ran or where I was going to end up. I was so confused by all the twists and turns I took that I was surprised when the hedges reached out from underneath me and were able to grab my feet and trip me up. Not something that happens to a vampire often, let me tell you.

I rolled as the hedge from the right reached out for me, only to land right in the clutches of the hedge on the left. The damn vines latched on to my legs, my torso, and reached out for my arms. I grew concerned because the more I struggled, the more the vines grew, latched on, and tried to pull me under the hedge next to me. After a few seconds of struggle, I was able to release my wand and fire the Reducto spell at the vines grabbing my legs, leaving only the vines around my chest. Those were like boa constrictors, and it seemed the more I pulled them off of me, the more there appeared to be. Eventually, I managed to release the bonds around my chest and fled where I had been held captive to where I could breathe deeply for a few minutes.

I rested my hands on my knees and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Being held captive was a scary proposition no matter who you were, doubly so for immortal vampires. But to be held captive by something that shouldn't be able to do so? Yeah, that was … I have no words.

I had thought I would have a few minutes to get my bearings, to check the map and to relax from the scare I just had with the hedges, but that wasn't to be so. As I looked up to see what was around me and where I had ended up, I came face to face with none other than a dementor. Things around me started to get cold. I could feel the happiness start to fade, but I fought against it. I had everything to be happy about, and I wasn't going to let this being tell me otherwise.

I looked closely at the dementor in front of me and realized it wasn't what one would call a normal dementor. There were slight differences to the dementors that guarded Azkaban, which told me this was not a dementor … but a— "Boggart," I breathed as I suddenly realized what I was facing.

"Riddikulus!" The spell shot out of the end of my wand, hitting the dementor square in the chest, forcing it back a few feet. Once it was there, it pulled itself into the swirling vortex it did when it was changing forms.

My wand hand twitched as I waited for the boggart to come out of its vortex. It seemed to take longer than I was used to in fact, and it made me wonder why.

I sucked in a sharp breath when the boggart that appeared before me was something I was absolutely terrified of happening, and I wasn't the only one. The boggart standing before me was a beautiful woman. A beautiful blonde woman with shimmering waist-length hair that was being blown about in all directions. But the one thing that told me who this was were the eyes that were glowing with unrestrained power. This was what Bella would be—would look like—if her siren powers took over completely.

This time "Riddikulus" was growled out in anger because I would never let that happen to my girl. She'd never become something she hated. My growl continued as the boggart pulled back into its vortex, but I couldn't help the snort of laughter before a full belly laugh erupted out of me—either from stress or because it was actually funny—at the image that was in front of me.

The boggart had turned from my beautiful girl as a siren to the Disney classical-looking mermaid flopping around in front of me. She had the shiny, scaly tail, the seashells for bra cups, and the innocently sumptuous smile. By the time I had finished laughing—and flopped to the ground in sheer exhaustion from the laughing fit—the boggart had gone poof and disappeared into nothing.

I laid on the ground, staring up at the night sky, at the stars, just resting for a few minutes. So far, this maze was way more than I was expecting, yet everything I knew would be here, all at the same time. I took a few deep breaths to try to calm my body from the experiences I had already encountered before I stood to take stock of where I was. I pulled the map out of my pocket and had another look. It seemed that Harry had made it farther within the maze while Fleur and Viktor were still playing catch up behind me. They were being stalled by the moving hedges, making their progress that much harder.

I moved along the aisle I was in, following the path that took me to Harry the fastest. I had just rounded my third corridor when things changed again. I had closed my eyes to blink, for one slow second—I heard Fleur scream, there was nothing I could do about it right now—and when I opened them, the world seemed to be brighter, more alight, as if I'd stumbled upon a bright summer's day. Not only that, but the world seemed to have tilted on its axis. In fact, the world was trying very hard to appear upside down, with the sky at my feet and the earth above my head.

The thing was the spell used to create this illusion wasn't strong enough for my vampiric senses. I could see the maze beyond the illusion that was being projected. I could see the maze hedges move as the wind whipped around; I could see the vines at the bottom reaching out for someone passing by. There didn't seem to be any obvious way out of this particular illusion, so I decided the best way for me was to move forward. It only took one step for the upside-down world to disappear like a puff of smoke.

"Hmph," I breathed out. _I didn't expect the maze to affect me this much. They certainly put _some_ thought into it._

Instead of stopping like I wanted to, I continued on in the direction I had memorized, slowly making my way toward Harry and the others. I had to get to Fleur and make sure she was okay.

I had to skid to a stop when I rounded the next corner only to come face to, well, face with something furry. I studied the animal as it stood before me, not scared in the slightest. I wondered whether this was another test of the maze when the animal—a Kneazle I recognized from our studies, a small cat-like creature with flecked, speckled, or spotted fur (flecked and speckled as this case may be), overly large ears, and a lion's tail—tilted its head at me.

I knew from the research we had done that these animals were intelligent, almost scarily so. It could detect the dishonesty of people it came across, and if it took a liking to a witch or wizard, it would protect it to the best of its ability.

_Hello, _the cat thought. _You're not like the others around here._

"Neither are you."

A very feline smirk overtook the Kneazle's face. _No, no I am not. Come. We have much to do and not a lot of time to get it done._ It spun and stalked away from me in the way I had been heading while I stood frozen on the spot. _Are you coming?_

"What are you doing?" I asked as I started after it.

_I have been sensing dishonesty all over that school. The strength of it drew me in from the forest. But it came to a head today when I came across this teacher._ A picture of Junior leaving the maze crossed the Kneazle's mind. His mind was like nothing I'd ever read from a beast before. I knew they were intelligent, but this was more than I expected.

"Barty Crouch Junior hiding as Professor Alistair Moody," I murmured. "Not a very nice wizard at all."

The cat snorted from in front of me. _And as dishonest as the day is long. The strength of it drew me to the maze where I observed him tinkering with all sorts of things. And in this section of the maze the most. As soon as he looked at me, I knew I had to come and help. There was no other reason for the inexplicable urge to get into this maze. Ahhh … right around this corner._

The Kneazle led me around the corner, right to where Fleur was lying unconscious. I fell to the ground at her side and ran my eyes over her to make sure there was no obvious injuries, but I was unable to find any. I reached out to lightly grip her shoulder and gave it a little shake. "Fleur? Fleur, can you hear me? Wake up."

There was no reaction from her at all. She was down for the count. "Can you tell what happened to her? And do you have a name that I can call you?"

The Kneazle stood up from the seated position it had taken at Fleur's feet and walked along the opposite side to me. It sniffed along her arm, over her shoulder, right up to the top of her head. _This creature has been hit with a stunning curse. Not a strong one—she will be awake before long. It was performed by the other one, the big one. Although, he seems to be under a curse of his own._ _You may call me Salem. _

"How ironic." I smiled at the fact that this cat had a name that matched the most famous witch trials in America. "And I wouldn't be calling her a creature. Veela, yes. Creature, no. In fact, my mate is a Veela. This is her cousin."

_I apologize._ Salem bowed his head. _You should call for help. We have to continue moving to catch the person who did this._

I drew my wand and fired red sparks into the air. "You need to get out of here, Salem. I can handle anything that comes my way. And I know what needs to happen."

Salem froze at my words. _I don't know that I can. I feel this need to protect you._

I nodded as I smiled. "I know. It's how you found me. I guess Bella isn't the only one who's able to acquire pets." I reached out and gave Salem a pat from head to tail, causing him to let out a rumbling purr, much like my own. "But I need you to go find my Bella, keep her safe, and calm for me. Something will happen tonight, and she might panic. Having you there will keep her more even-keeled."

_How will she know what I'm there for?_

With a circling swish to my wand and an "Expecto Patronum," my snow leopard leapt out of the end of my wand. "Let Bella know to look after Salem until I get back. I'll tell her all about it then." My patronus took off without waiting for anything else. "She'll know to look after you. Can I trust you to look after her?"

_Without a doubt. Be careful._

Salem and I separated and went in opposite directions. He was going to follow my scent back to Bella and use that to identify her while I went off after Viktor and Harry. I could hear Professors McGonagall and Flitwick making their way toward Fleur as I bolted through the maze, around corners, and dodging hedges as they moved to intercept my path. It got so bad at one point that I had to use one of my freezing potions at a five-way intersection to stop them all coming together at once.

A few more turns and I came upon a scene I never wanted to see. Viktor was stalking Harry from behind. It looked like what could be one of my nightmares if I slept. I followed along silently, waiting to see what Viktor would do. I hoped to get a bead on his thoughts, but when I looked, I saw the blissed-out thoughts of someone who was being controlled by the Imperious Curse. The one thing I learned while watching those under the Imperious Curse, the one thing that stood out, was the fact that I could hear the controller's thoughts in their minds over the blissed-out thoughts.

And running all through Viktor's mind were the directions coming from none other than Barty Crouch Junior. On the plus side, Barty didn't want Harry hurt, he just wanted Viktor to tail Harry to make sure he got to the center of the maze and that Harry got his hands on the cup.

I had to know if Viktor could break out of it on his own, or if I had to make sure he'd be safe until one of us could help him out of it.

"Viktor!" I shouted, gaining the attention of both him and Harry. "Viktor, you have to snap out of it."

They both spun around to face me—Harry's face full of surprise, Viktor's blank and glazed over.

"_Attack him. Stop him,"_ Junior's voice growled through Viktor's head. _"Don't let him stop Harry Potter."_

Without conscious thought, Viktor threw a spell at me. He didn't even say the spell, which meant I had to dodge it and roll around a corner because I didn't know what it was. For the next few minutes, I grappled with Viktor, waiting for an opening to send a stunning spell in his direction. Eventually, I had to climb up on top of the maze and use my speed against Viktor to be able to get into position behind him.

Once there, I called out, "Stupefy!" Viktor spun just as the spell launched out of the end of my wand and hit him right in the chest. The strength of the spell threw him back several feet and knocked him onto his back. I ran over to Viktor to make sure I hadn't hurt him inadvertently with the strength of my spell. Once I had determined he was fine, I fired the red sparks up in the air and spun around, only to find that Harry had slipped away while I was distracted with Viktor.

"God damn it, Harry!" I roared into the sky. "This is not the time to run."

_You just want the cup for yourself,_ I heard him think. _I'm going to be the Triwizard Tournament Champion, and there's nothing you can do to stop me._

I sighed and closed my eyes. This is the point in time where someone would say, "I told you so". When they say hindsight is 20/20. We should have told Harry what we suspected about the vision and what the real Moody had been saying. And if we had, maybe, just maybe, Harry wouldn't be trying to escape a vampire and running toward what was going to be the most terrifying thing he'd faced since the night his mother died. At least, he wouldn't be doing it by himself.

Bella and I were going to have to come clean about a lot of things after this tournament was over. It was time we started to rely on the others to help us figure things out. Things worked out better when we all worked together.

Besides, there were things Harry needed to know—it really was as simple as that.

I took off once more after Harry. This time, I used my sense of smell to follow the trail he'd left behind. I couldn't believe how far he'd come in a short amount of time. I didn't think I'd been fighting Viktor that long. But after taking the right that was up ahead, a couple of lefts, and another right, before a straight through, I came across the next obstacle. One that Harry had already passed.

There in the path, pacing backward and forward, was something I didn't think I'd ever see outside of Egypt. With a large golden lion-shaped body, a long yellowish tail with a tuft of fur at the end, great clawed paws, and the head of a woman was a Sphinx. Something rumored to never leave the warmth of their desert climate.

When I came to a skidding stop, the Sphinx's head snapped in my direction. She was looking at me through large almond-shaped eyes and a head of golden hair. "Halt, wizard."

"But I need to catch up to my friend who has already passed you."

The Sphinx angled her body so it wasn't just her head that was facing me. She sat, quite regally, and looked down her nose at me. "If you wish to pass me by and advance on through the maze, you need to answer me this:

"_First think of the person who lives in disguise,_

_Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies._

_Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,_

_The middle of the middle, the end of the end?_

_And finally, give me the sound often heard,_

_During a search for a hard-to-find word._

_Now string them together and answer me this,_

_Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"_

I stared at the Sphinx in abject awe. She wanted me to solve a riddle to pass? I rolled my eyes as I closed them and dropped my head to my hands. Of course, she did. Sphinxes do nothing but talk in riddles, and they get really pissed off if you can't answer them.

So, I ran through the different sections of the riddle. _A person who lives in disguise, tells nothing but lies …_ I thought about someone like that, someone who wanted to remain hidden, much like Junior. They would be considered a … a … spy.

_What is the last thing to mend_?Last thing to mend? Hems? Sleeves? _The middle of the middle, the end of the end_? Oh, duh. The last of mend is a "D". The middle of middle and end of end is also a "D".

_What sound does someone say when they are looking for a hard-to-find word_? The girls use things such as … like, um, well, and … er. I nodded. I've seen Esme do enough crosswords that she says "er" a lot when she's either got too many words or not enough.

_Now to string them together … _Spy … d … er.

"Come, wizard. What is the answer?"

I stood, looking her straight in the eye. "The answer is spider," I stated with all the confidence I could muster.

The Sphinx stared me down before she stood, took a step to the side, and then sat down again. I slowly took a step, then another, then one more, and when she didn't make a move toward me, I sprinted past her to continue following Harry's scent trail.

It didn't take me long to find him, and I think I just about died when I came upon him. Harry was right in front of me … fighting an Acrumantula—one of Aragog's children, I had no doubt. I wonder how they convinced Hagrid to recruit one of his friend's children. Although, if I knew anything, it was that Aragog would want revenge for me killing his children last year. Well, he wasn't going to get it this time.

Harry was flinging spells left and right all while trying to keep out of the reach of the spider's reach. Its legs, its pincers, and especially its venomous fangs. Without thought, I jumped into the fight in the best way I knew how—physically. I sprinted forward, dove around Harry, and slid right under the spider, gripping one of its legs as I slid past. As I slid out the other side, the spider tripped and rolled, following after me.

For the next few minutes, both Harry and I fought with the spider. Him firing spells, me using my strength. By the time we were done, the spider was missing a few legs, was cold to the touch, and died with his legs in their air.

"What the hell were those potions?" Harry blurted while he was panting with his hands on his knees.

I was panting as well. Those spiders were damn scary. "Freezing potions. Gives you an advantage over your opponents by momentarily freezing them. Charlie was a damn genius."

"You're not wrong."

It was at that point Harry and I realized the cup was just a few short meters away from us. Harry stood up straight, as did I, and we looked at each other for a few moments. Without thought, Harry turned and made a beeline for it.

"Harry, wait!" I called, using my speed to catch up and plant myself in front of him, preventing him from reaching for the cup. "Please?"

"Why? You just want the cup for yourself!" he accused, attempting to find a way around me.

I shrugged with my hands out wide. "You're not wrong. I want to prove my prowess to Bella. But that's not the reason. Well, not the only one."

"Prowess," Harry scoffed. "Like you have anything to prove. Besides, if anyone has something to prove, it's me. And why not me since I was the surprise entrant. The underdog! Why should I wait?"

"Because Alice had a vision a few years ago of this very thing. Although, it was slightly different."

"What?" he breathed before turning furious, rightly so. "Why didn't you tell me?" he raged, "What else did she see?"

"All she saw was that when we grab that cup, we're transferred to a graveyard where I am hit with the killing curse by Wormtail …" I stopped for a moment because I wasn't sure if this was the time to tell Harry everything, but the look on his face said I better. "Bella and I also discovered that the man who is imitating Moody is actually Barty Crouch Junior, who killed his father, Barty Crouch Senior, not too long ago. And everything that is going to happen in that graveyard tonight has to happen. For no other reason than because we need it to stop Voldemort in the future."

"Voldemort?" Harry growled. "What do you mean? What does this have to do with Voldemort?"

I shrugged helplessly. "Until we get to that graveyard and experience what is going to happen, I have absolutely no idea what it has to do with Voldemort. Except that Wormtail is … was part of his inner circle."

Harry glowered at me as he paced around the space we were standing in. His thoughts were extremely angry—so angry, in fact, that he couldn't articulate anything in his thoughts. He was trying to use the pacing as a way to calm down even though it wasn't working. I waited him out because he had every right to be angry.

He ended up standing in front of me. He pointed at my chest, poking me as he spoke. "After this is all over, you will tell me everything. The whole reason this large family works is because we've been honest with each other. If this has to do with me, my past, my future, I deserve to know!"

I was nodding the whole time he was speaking while I held my hands in the air. "We didn't keep it from you out of malice, Harry. We wanted more information. But you are correct. We should have given you the option because it does concern you."

"Good." Harry sighed. He indicated toward the cup, and we both made our way to it, standing on either side. "On three, we'll grab the cup."

I nodded. "On three."

We both held up a hand, each poised to grab a handle. Together we counted. "One … Two … Three …"

We both grabbed a handle at the same time. As soon as we did, I felt the familiar pull from my naval—indicating travel with a portkey—and we were pulled from the middle of the maze, leaving behind safety and everyone we knew.

~*~UHS~*~

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**So that happened. Where are they going?**

**Have a good time on New Years Eve. See you next year!**


	22. Chapter Twenty-One - The Graveyard

**Hello everyone! Welcome to the first post for the new year. One more week and I'm on holidays for a week - I'm hoping to get more written on book 5 while I'm home. I'm also thinking about donating an outtake to the Fandom group that is creating a compilation for the bushfire survivors here in Australia. Just let me work my stuff and we'll see.**

**A big thank you for Pienuniek and Sally for working on this chapter over the Christmas break. I couldn't be more thankful for the pair of them.**

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'll let you get to this ... I'm sure you're anxious to find out what happens.**

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**Chapter Twenty-One ~ The Graveyard**

The tugging that felt like it was coming from my navel abated as we landed in a graveyard I was all too familiar with. First from Alice's vision, then later from Harry's dream. It was one I'd been dreading landing in. Yet here I was all the same.

"No," Harry breathed as he looked around. "I've been here …"

"Before, in your dreams. I know," I said as I too looked around, seeing many different headstones.

Behind us stood the statue that looked like death. With its hooded figure, the scythe in one hand, and the name plate to the left; it looked like something out of a nightmare. Across from us stood a small tomb. It looked like a squat building that was hardly taller than me, but from what I knew of tombs, it most likely went down underground.

I continued to turn in circles, taking it all in, including the huge manor that was behind the graveyard. It was the house from Harry's dream over the summer. The house Voldemort had been hiding in when they'd killed Frank Bryce. Which meant that this house, and graveyard, had once belonged to the Riddles. Tom Riddle's father. Voldemort's father.

As I was staring at the house, I heard the snick of a door opening and Harry screaming out in pain. I spun to see he was clutching the scar on his forehead. When I turned to face the tomb, there was none other than Wormtail standing there holding what looked like a pile of rags. But because I knew better, I knew who was wrapped up in those rags.

"What are you doing here?" Wormtail sneered.

I flicked my arm, causing my wand to shoot out. "Winning the tournament." I snickered. "What are we doing here?"

"Kill the spare!" hissed the bundle of rags.

With a brown wand that I hadn't seen, Wormtail fired a spell at me, barely missing as I spun out of the way. I fired back a stunning curse that caused Wormtail to take to hiding behind a gravestone.

Harry was still crouched over in pain, unable to help, while Wormtail had placed his bundle of rags somewhere out of sight between spells being flung.

For the next few minutes, we traded spells. I was defending myself while trying to capture Wormtail. I knew that things had to happen in this graveyard to help with the future, but that didn't mean I had to make it easy on them.

_Edward, please. Let's just get it over with. This pain is splitting my skull in two, _Harry thought from his position by the statue of death.

I looked over to see that he was really struggling and becoming more and more worn out by the second. So, with the perfect timing only someone who could read minds would achieve, I stepped out to fire a spell just as Wormtail did the same.

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted just as he yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"

My spell had him diving for cover, once again, while I braced for the impact of the killing curse. It hit me above the right pocket of my vest, and I used the momentum from the spell hitting me to fling myself onto the ground. I landed somewhere I could see, but also somewhere where I would be out of the way. My eyes remained open. I would just have to remember not to blink, or breathe, when anyone was looking in my direction.

It was a good thing I didn't need to do either.

I was glad that I had worked the angle right. The way I had thrown my body had it landing right next to the Triwizard Cup. When we had to make our inevitable getaway, I would just be able to reach out and grab it.

"Noooo!" Harry screamed both in pain from his scar and because he truly believed the vest Bella had made me failed and I was dead. Another thing I would have to atone for.

"Now!" the voice hissed from wherever Wormtail had stashed it. "Do it now!"

Wormtail moved from the spot he had hidden himself when I fired my last spell at him and flicked his wand in Harry's direction. I hadn't noticed it at the time, but Harry had been crouched in front of that damn death statue, clutching his forehead. And right now, that made things all the easier for Wormtail. His spell had the statue coming to life and reaching out for Harry. The statue bent over from above him and hooked the scythe under him. With both hands now lifting Harry, the scythe ended up right under his chin. The statue pulled it up, as well as Harry, until Harry's back was flush against the statue's front.

Harry had absolutely no place to go.

Instead of continuing to look through my place on the ground—because it was severely limited—I chose to look through Harry. What I saw would be something I wish I could unsee for many, many years to come.

Wormtail went and picked up the talking bundle of rags he had hidden during his fight with me and placed them on the ground while he went off for something else. But as he had placed it on the ground, the rags had fallen open to reveal what was inside. I could physically feel Harry reel back from the shock, and I had to fight not to gag and give away the fact that I was still very much alive.

Inside the rags was something wriggling and moving. It was ugly. It was slimy. It was bald but worse, a hundred times worse than anything I had ever seen. This thing was shaped like a crouched child but mangled like an old maid after working her whole life. From Harry's angle, I could see it was hairless—completely. Its raw skin was a dark reddish-black color and almost scale like, as reptiles would be. The way it was curled up made it look feeble and frail while its face was smooth, almost snake-like.

But what scared Harry, and even concerned me, was the bright, gleaming red eyes that stared at him from within that face. They were the eyes of human-drinking vampires. Those were the eyes of a murderer. And they were glaring straight at Harry.

This ugly, twisted, mangled person was what Voldemort had been reduced to after the Avada Kedavra spell he cast on Harry rebounded onto himself.

Both of our thoughts were interrupted by the loud clang of metal as Wormtail dropped an overly large cauldron onto the circle of rocks I hadn't notice before. Voldemort had also been strategically placed next to it, so it seemed. With another flick of his wand, Wormtail lit a fire underneath the cauldron and had filled it with liquid.

Nagini, Voldemort's snake, slithered out from her hiding spot quickly. She made her way out into the graveyard to circle around the malformed body of her master—just once—before she slithered back off into another hiding spot, waiting for him to reappear full of praise for her once again. My brows furrowed ever so slightly, wondering what attachment Voldemort had to this snake, why it followed him so blindly, and why he continued to keep it around. It was just one thing that didn't make sense. Psychopaths didn't form emotional attachments. They can't. They don't know how. So why was this one so important?

Once the snake was gone, Wormtail was, once again, at his master's side. Both Harry and I could see the grimace that crossed his face when he reached down to pick Voldemort up, and Voldemort wrapped his arms around Wormtail's neck. He intensely disliked touching the thing that was now Voldemort. Wormtail stood straight before turning to the cauldron and dropping Voldemort in.

_Please drown,_ Harry thought desperately. He'd put everything together. He knew who was now resting in the bottom of that overly large cauldron. _Please, please drown._

Wormtail lifted his wand and spun to where Harry was being held. "Bone of the father unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"

After the words were spoken, the ground beneath Harry's feet shook and shuddered before opening up and releasing a stream of white powder that flew and swirled before landing in the cauldron. The liquid inside simmered before turning a spectacular blue.

Wormtail pulled out a knife, raising both of his arms into the air. "Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master!" With a whimper that belied the words he had just spoken about willingly giving his flesh, he still used that knife to slice his entire right hand clean off. The potion in the cauldron bubbled and boiled turning a deep, dark, rich blood red.

With another whimper, this one much more painful sounding, Wormtail spun and wobbled over to Harry. Using the knife in his left hand, Wormtail cut open the sleeve of Harry's tournament robe. Another slice and Harry's arm was open and bleeding as well. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe!"

Wormtail dropped the knife on the ground, pulled a vial from his pocket, and he held it against Harry's arm, collecting several drops. While the stump of Wormtail's arm continued to bleed, he ambled back to the cauldron and tipped Harry's blood into it. As Wormtail took several steps back before collapsing on the ground clutching his arm, the potion in the cauldron turned a brilliant, blinding white, causing Harry to close his eyes to block it out. Once the light dissipated, Harry opened his eyes, only to see steam and sparks flying in every direction.

Eventually, the potion shot up into the air. As it came back down, the cauldron, fire, and everything beneath it disintegrated as a fully-grown human stepped out of it. When he was clear, the potion soaked into the earth like there had been nothing at all. The figure stretched lazily as he took careful steps away from the cauldron that brought him life. He faced Harry as he ran his hands over the top of his head and down his body, making sure everything was there and in working order.

As he stepped closer, Voldemort's physical features were revealed. He was at least six feet tall. Covered in a black, flowing robe. But what stood out to me, as well as Harry, was the snake-like face that had been on the wriggling ugly mass in the rags had followed him through his transformation. He was bald—completely bald. No hair, no eyebrows, no mustache. He had ridges where his eyebrows should have been and red veins marked out all over his head. He was also missing a nose. In its place were two small slits that acted like gills moving in and out as he breathed.

But what completely freaked Harry out even more was that his eyes were still blood red. To know that this man was essentially human with eyes like that was even scaring the crap out of me. What did this man do to earn eyes like a vampire's? How many people did he kill?

"My wand, Wormtail." Voldemort's voice floated over the graveyard. It was calming, almost hypnotic. I imagined this is how he lured his followers in, much like the cult leaders in the muggle world. Wormtail handed over Voldemort's white, almost bleached bone wand after pulling it from his pocket. "Thank you. Now your arm, Wormtail."

The sniveling little weasel looked up at his master as if he knew all the secrets to the universe. "Th-th-thank you, master." He held out his bloody stump, expecting it to be repaired.

Voldemort looked down at Wormtail balefully. "Your other arm, Wormtail."

"Oh," he sniveled pathetically.

Wormtail held out his left arm for inspection. Voldemort lifted his wand and used it to slice open the sleeve of Wormtail's jacket, revealing the tattoo on his arm. Wormtail was obviously on the outside of Voldemort's circle because his tattoo only had the skull on his forearm. The obvious difference was that Wormtail's tattoo was red, right up until Voldemort placed his wand on the skull's forehead. As soon as he did that, Wormtail's skin rippled, and with a rolling wave, the skull went from red to black as if it had burnt the skin. If Wormtail's rather girly scream was anything to go by, it had hurt a hell of a lot.

Almost the second Voldemort had touched the tattoo, thunder and lightning lit up the sky. Harry jumped but looked up to the sky, giving me a glimpse of what was happening. Through the clashes of thunder, the bursts of lightning, and the rolling clouds.

"I wonder how many will answer the call? How many will be brave enough to return, and how many will try to stay away?" Voldemort murmured, almost lazily before he turned to face Harry. "Do you know where you are, Harry?"

Harry's attention snapped back to Voldemort, but instead of answering, Harry shrugged his shoulders as much as he could from the position he was in.

"No, I don't suppose you would. You are currently standing on the bones of my father, and behind you is the house my father lived in before he died." Voldemort indicated the mansion behind us.

Harry finally took a good look at the name plate next to him only to gasp softly as he read the name: _Tom Riddle._

"He was a muggle and a fool … who abandoned my mother after she told him what she was. You see, he had a problem with witchcraft … My poor mother, she died giving birth to me. Not unlike your mother, who died for you." Voldemort paced around as he seemed to talk to himself, even if he was directing it at Harry. "Ah, listen to me prattle on about ancient history. Now … here comes my real family."

Suddenly, it looked like the clouds were throwing off meteors, or shooting stars—streaks of black shooting off through the sky. They'd fly around, making loop-de-loops before shooting up then straight down at the ground. When it hit the ground, those same streaks of black disappeared, leaving figures shrouded in a black cloaks with a half masks covering their faces. The same types of masks that were worn by Voldemort's death eaters back at the World Cup.

That seemed so long ago. We'd gone through so much since then.

The thoughts of the death eaters were very sad. They were sniveling, pleading, and they were going to beg for forgiveness. They were very pathetic. And I could see that very same thought on Voldemort's face as he took in all of his inner circle. They were all in a circle, places they seemed to be used to, even if there were people missing from the circle.

"Thirteen years," Voldemort started, catching their attention. "It's been thirteen years since we've all been together. Yet you return when I called, as if it were just yesterday."

From the parts of the faces you could see, they were stunned at the sight before them. Voldemort glided around the inner circle, inspecting each and every one of them. The first one to fall to his knees and kiss the bottom of Voldemort's robes was about halfway around the circle.

"Master … master," he sniveled, sounding even more pathetic. It didn't take long for the rest to follow suit, and Voldemort being the psychopath that he was basked in the attention, at least for a short while.

"It seems we are all still united under the dark mark. Or are we?" Voldemort asked menacingly. There was a shiver that ran around the gathered death eaters. Voldemort closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. "I smell guilt. The stench of it is overwhelming."

Another shiver ran around the gathered group. I could hear the hesitancy in their thoughts. They wanted to step back but didn't think it wise.

"I confess myself disappointed. I see you all hale, hearty, … healthy. And I wonder … where were you all when your master needed you? You all have your powers intact, but I wonder why didn't you all come to my aid when I lost mine? Why is it that you pledged your eternal loyalty to me yet you believed I was broken, that I may be gone, but you were able to slip back in among my enemies so easily?"

The death eaters surrounding him didn't say a word. But their thoughts were loud and clear. Voldemort was right. They did think him gone. They never thought they'd see him again. Most of them had just tried to keep under the radar and hope they would never be fingered as a death eater and thrown in Azkaban.

"Most of you here knew the steps I had taken not to suffer a mortal death, had seen my immense power, so I had to ask … how did you think I would not be back? Was it because you believed there was a greater power, one that could vanquish the dark lord? Perhaps you now pay allegiance to another … the champion of muggles and mudbloods … does your loyalty lie with Albus Dumbledore?"

Disgust rippled through the death eaters, some grumbling under their breaths, others outright denying what Voldemort was speculating.

Suddenly, Voldemort was moving faster than I had thought a human could move. As he passed his followers, he ripped the masks off the death eaters, each one collapsing as if in pain. "What say you, Avery? McNair? Crabbe? Goyle? Nott? James? And you, Lucius?"

Harry looked around at each of the death eaters that had been unmasked. McNair was familiar. He was the executioner who had come to put Buckbeak down last year. Crabbe and Goyle looked distinctly familiar. They had certainly passed strong traits onto their sons. The redhead, Victoria, she had thought when Voldemort had unmasked her. She wanted him to acknowledge her, to treat her with some type of affection. She believed she was Voldemort's equal; she loved him as much as a psychopath could love, and she wanted that returned. And of course, there was Lucius Malfoy, now sporting a scar down the side of his face, curtesy of the events at the World Cup.

It was Malfoy who answered Voldemort's question. "My Lord," he whispered, "if I had heard any inklings of your whereabouts …"

"Oh, there were whispers, talk, even rumors. But did one of you check? Did any of you look into those rumors?" Voldemort looked around as all of his followers bowed under the glare he aimed in their directions.

Voldemort spun and aimed his wand at the man named Avery. "Crucio."

Avery bent in the most unnatural angles as he writhed and screamed in pain. I couldn't even access his mind because it was screaming at me. If I had to compare it to something, I would say it was as bad as when I changed to a vampire.

"Did any of you attempt to come back?" Voldemort asked angrily as he released Avery from the torture he was putting him through.

"I-I-I did, m-m-master …" A sniveling, sobbing voice sounded out in the darkness. "I came back."

A majority of the death eaters sneered as Voldemort spun and approached Wormtail, who was still huddled against a headstone.

Voldemort looked down at Wormtail, assessing his condition. His stump was still bleeding, and he was growing paler by the minute. "You did, Wormtail. Although, it was not out of loyalty but out of fear for what your former friends would do to you. You know you deserve this pain, don't you?"

"Y-y-yes, master. Please, please." Wormtail moaned pitifully.

"You may not be trustworthy, you certainly are worthless, but you helped me. You gave me back my body. And Lord Voldemort rewards those who help him."

Harry shook his head. _Who talks like that? Why? Why didn't the vest work? My God, Bella is gonna kill me. _Harry thought desperately as he looked over at me lying still. I wished we had thought up some kind of signal that would have shown Harry that I was okay, or that I could move to capture his attention, but several death eaters were looking in my direction as well.

Harry turned back as the movement of Voldemort's arm caught his attention. He had lifted his wand, whirling it through the air. As he moved it around, a stream of silver sprouted from the end. It circled around a couple times before swirling down to latch onto the stump of Wormtail's arm. The bleeding stopped immediately, and the molten silver filled itself in until Wormtail had a replacement hand. Wormtail moved it around, inspecting it and moving it to see if it worked the same as the one he had cut off.

"My Lord," Wormtail whispered. "Th-thank you. It's beautiful."

Voldemort reached out and placed his hand on Wormtail's head. "May your loyalty never waiver again, Wormtail."

Wormtail bent down, kissing the ends of Voldemort's robes. "N-never, m-m-master. Never again."

Voldemort started walking around the group of gathered death eaters, talking to them, making them beg for his forgiveness, making them humiliate themselves before moving on. That was until he came to the first gap in the circle.

"The Lestranges should stand here. Two of them entombed in Azkaban. One of them gone. They were faithful. Rather than denouncing the old ways, they went to Azkaban. They will be honored when Azkaban is broken open."

_Say what now?_ Harry thought. _I wish Edward was here to help me remember this. _

_Don't worry, Harry. I'll be there._

Voldemort's thoughts were wide open. I could see everything he had planned so far. His mind was probably the most diabolical I had ever read. As far as he was concerned, he thought I was dead. Not that he remembered I had been a mind-reading vampire. It seemed that some things were blurry from before he was returned to his mortal body. I'm hoping that little tidbit of information stayed gone when he knew I wasn't dead.

My perusing of thoughts was interrupted when Voldemort spoke again. "The dementors will rejoin with us as they are my natural allies. And we will recall the banished giants. I will have my army of creatures back, as well as my faithful followers."

Harry watched as Voldemort continued interrogating and humiliating some of his death eaters while praising others like McNair. Promising him more suitable things to kill other than the creatures that were deemed appropriate by the ministry.

"And here we have six death eaters missing," Voldemort said when he came to the biggest gap in the circle. "Three of them died while in my service." I saw three different faces floating in his thoughts. Not anyone I recognized, nor anyone I had discovered in my research of death eaters.

"One too cowardly to return … He will pay for his cowardice." _Igor Karkaroff …_ was the name that floated through Voldemort's thoughts as well as a picture of his younger self.

Voldemort took a couple steps to the side. "One who I believe has left me forever … He will be killed." The picture that appeared in his mind was of a man I was all too familiar with … _Severus Snape._

"And one who has already re-entered my service. My most faithful servant. He has been in place at Hogwarts …" _Bartemius Crouch Junior_ as well as a picture of what he currently looked like accompanied that name. "And it is due to his efforts that we are joined tonight, at my rebirthing party, by none other than Harry Potter."

Deathly silence fell over the graveyard. No one wanted to be the one to ask the obvious follow-up question. Though Voldemort waited. Eventually, one of them stepped forward to ask.

Harry's face twisted with a sneer when he saw the blond hair of Lucius Malfoy. He hated that man with a passion, but it had more to do with the fact that he was hurting one of his friends than it was because he was a death eater. "My lord, can you … we beg you … tell us how you came back to us?"

"A very good question, my friend." Although, Voldemort's thoughts were that Lucius was anything but. His "friends" were all his servants. "And this tale begins—and ends—with our friend here." Voldemort was looking at Harry before he spun around with dramatic flair. "You all know they call this boy my downfall, right?"

The death eaters nodded and watched as Voldemort spun back to Harry, whose scar started to burn with pain. It took all Harry had not to scream out. Through the pain, Harry watched as Voldemort approached him, his red eyes calculating and with a small smirk on his face.

"On the night I lost my powers, his mother provided a magic that I had not taken into consideration. I was a fool to dismiss this ancient magic. The silly woman had run from me, trying to hide within their house. I followed her of course, stalking her, dragging it out for my enjoyment."

I groaned in my head. This … monster … was something else.

"Eventually, she had no place left to run, and I found them as she was placing baby Harry in his crib." The smile that crossed Voldemort's face was well on the other side of creepy—it was downright demonic. "I knew, of course, that Harry was my primary objective, so that was who my wand was aimed at. Just before the spell released from my wand, she stepped in front of him and died for her son. I could not touch him."

Voldemort raised his hand and held it just above Harry's cheek, not touching him.

"With that, she covered him with traces of this old magic. I should have remembered it. But it does not matter … I can touch him now." Voldemort placed a long, bony finger to the scar on Harry's forehead, making his entire head explode with unbelievable pain and causing Harry to cry out.

After a short moment, Voldemort stepped away but let his finger linger for as long as possible. He laughed softly as he turned back to the death eaters. "I have to tell all you losers that I have had quite a few lucky breaks. When the curse rebounded upon me, it soon showed me that my master plan had worked. Even though I lost my powers and my human body, some form of a residual body remained. I was able to rescue my wand, useless as it was because I could not use it. But it worked great as a walking stick for the thing I became."

I snorted softly to myself. It was a good thing he hadn't found out about Vlad's diary. He may have found someone to turn him. Then where would we all be?

"I remember forcing myself to endlessly, sleeplessly, continue on. I waited in a faraway place for one of my death eaters to find me … to help me in my hour of need … because I could not do for myself what had to be done." Voldemort's eyes roamed around the death eaters. "I waited in vain."

There was some uncomfortable shifting around the circle as Voldemort let the silence linger, let it stretch out. "I remained hidden as the aurors searched for me, inhabiting bodies of animals—snakes being my preference—with the only magic left to me. Until, one day four years ago when a young, foolish, and gullible wizard happened to come across the place I was hiding. And better yet, he was a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

_Professor Quirrell._ Harry sucked in a shocked gasp. _Edward foiled that plot. Bella nearly lost him._ Harry looked over at me. _Once again, he was trying to help me, and now, he's paid with his life. I'd hate to be Voldemort when Bella catches up with him_.

That was a thought I would love to entertain later.

"It was easy to convince him to bring me back to this country, and eventually, I took possession of his body to watch him complete my work. The philosopher's stone was in reach, but I was thwarted … thwarted by a now dead Edward Masen."

I could feel the weight of the stares of the death eaters as they looked at me. I laid still, made sure to hold my breath, until they looked away.

"Of course, the servant died when I left his body. I retreated to my hiding place. I had given up all hope of ever being found by one of my death eaters, for they seemed to have forsaken me." A couple of the lower-ranking death eaters shifted once again, but Voldemort seemed to ignore them. "About a year ago, another piece of incredible luck happened. The biggest coward of all my servants, who was somehow able to hide from all you useless pieces of shit. Those who betrayed me the moment I seemed to have gone, and the aurors who were still hunting death eaters, which wouldn't give up. The ones persevering in Azkaban—those ones are my true, loyal servants. But let me tell you how we came to be here …"

Voldemort began pacing around the circle, keeping the attention of the death eaters. "Wormtail over there managed to disappear, once again, from under the nose of the escaped Rabastan Lestrange and the overzealous students of Hogwarts. One of whom I had already encountered and misjudged. But that was only once; Edward Masen is now permanently dead. His snivelling life is now forfeit, another debt Wormtail has now paid. Scurrying through sewers with his rodent friends, Wormtail found out there was a place where even they wouldn't go. Some place deep in the woods where you could go but never return from. He came for me, unlike you other so-called death eaters. His trip, however, was not without its perils. For one night, when foolishly stopping for dinner, he ran into someone who worked within the ministry."

_God, no,_ I thought. _If she came across them …_

"None other than Bertha Jorkins …" Voldemort smiled. But it was not your average happy smile. No, this one was maniacal; it was creepy and downright evil. "Somehow, Wormtail talked her into going for a walk where he overpowered her, and he brought her to me. Bertha became an absolute well of information, after a little persuasion of course. She told me all about the fact that the Triwizard Tournament was coming to Hogwarts this year, about a faithful death eater who would be all too willing to help me with what I needed, if I only made contact with him."

Voldemort sighed as if remembering something wonderful. "She did give up all her information. Unfortunately, in breaking the memory charm placed on her mind, I may have used too much force. After I was done, her mind and body were no longer suitable for co-habitation."

_What is wrong with this person?_ Harry thought as he watched Voldemort remembering the act of breaking someone fondly. He looked around at the death eaters, only to find that they were hanging on his every word. _What is wrong with all of these people? To enjoy the act of breaking, or killing, someone with such … passion?_

Voldemort sighed again. Bringing Harry's attention back to him. Exactly where Voldemort wanted it. "As you can see, Wormtail's body is unfit for possession due to the fact that he's too widely known to be dead. But he does make a good able-bodied servant, and he was able to follow my instructions, without too much trouble. He returned me to a rudimentary body and helped me become stable enough for travel. Although that required a couple spells of my own and a little help from some unicorn blood …" A hiss sounded through the clearing as Nagini came to circle around her master. Voldemort reached out a hand and ran it along her head as she continued to circle him. "… and some venom from my dear sweet Nagini. But how to accomplish it?

"This spell"—Voldemort looked down at his hands sticking out from the end of his robes—"is an old spell. A dark piece of magic. I had to settle for being put back in my mortal body, with my old strength. But I needed three things. One of those couldn't have been any closer, right, Wormtail? Flesh of the servant?"

"Right, master," Wormtail replied, puffed up with pride.

"Then the bone of my father. That meant returning here, to the place where he lived. And the last was the blood of my enemy. Now, Wormtail here would have used any old witch or wizard who hated me. But that just wouldn't do. No, no, no, no, no. For me to return stronger than I was, I had to use the blood of the one who destroyed me. I had to have the power that protected him run through my blood. I had to use the blood of Harry Potter. But how to get him?" Voldemort paused in his monologue—he death eaters all hanging on his every word. "I couldn't get him at his home where he resides with his godfather and the other one. Nor could I get him at Edward Masen's house, not with all those wizards and vampires hanging about. I was nowhere near strong enough. The same with attempting a kidnapping at the World Cup. So how?"

_Merlin's beard. Is there anything he doesn't know about me? How long has he been watching me? Watching all of us? How did we not know?_ Harry wasn't the only one gobsmacked. We would have to step up security. Hopefully, Voldemort doesn't know about the one person we were trying to keep under wraps. If he knew about Draco …

"Then it occurred to me. Bertha Jorkins had given me how. My one faithful death eater, posted at Hogwarts, to ensure that _Harry Potter's_ name would be entered into the Goblet of Fire. The death eater would ensure that Harry would succeed in the tournament, that he would be the one to grab onto the cup. And that the cup, as a portkey, would bring him here … out of Dumbledore's reach. And here he is!" Voldemort shouted, spinning and pointing at Harry with his wand. "The one who you all thought was my downfall … Crucio!"

Pain exploded through Harry. His head felt like it was splitting in half, starting at the tip of his scar. His bones felt like they were liquefying from the intense heat that was swirling around and through them. And his organs contracted so hard he didn't think they'd ever be the right size and shape ever again. But as quick as it had come on, it disappeared, leaving Harry completely dependent on the statue to hold him up. He was panting so hard I wondered if he was going to pass out from hyperventilation.

The graveyard was alive with the sound of death eater laughter as Harry struggled to breathe, and I struggled not to get up and go on a murderous rampage, ending with the red-eyed demon currently staring at Harry as if he were a science experiment. Death was going to be too good for this … monstrosity. How did anyone ever miss the complete psychopathy of Tom Riddle when he was in school?

Voldemort's face twisted into an ugly grimace as the laughter died down. I think it was supposed to be an attempt at a smile, but it was like his face muscles hadn't moved that way before. "It was foolish to believe that this boy was ever stronger than me. And tonight, I will prove it. No one is here to protect him. His mother is dead, he's far from Dumbledore, and his most fierce protector is lying in a heap at his side. Tonight, I will kill Harry Potter."

With a flick of his wand, Voldemort had the statue releasing Harry. Harry fell to the ground with a thump that I felt vibrate through the ground. He landed on his hands and knees with his head twisted my way. I could see the fear. I could almost taste it on the air. I watched Harry try to decide if he had time to get to the cup near my outstretched hand, but he could feel the eyes of every death eater on him. They were closing in around him.

"Leave him to me!" Voldemort's voice sounded from the other side of the clearing. "He's mine. I am to kill him. Pick up your wand, Harry."

Harry's head bowed forward as he reached for his wand. _I'm sorry, Edward. I want to get you home to Bella, I just don't know how I'm going to. I'm going to give Voldemort everything I've got. Hopefully, it'll be enough._

Slowly, Harry got to his feet as he steeled himself for what was to come. He didn't hold out a lot of hope for beating one as formidable as Voldemort, but he was going to give it his absolute best.

"I assume, Harry, that Dumbledore has taught you how to duel?" Voldemort stopped talking as if he expected Harry to answer him.

Harry was instead thrown back to another time, another year, where we had a professor who … attempted … to teach us how to duel. Given who they were teaching, I had to give Professors Snape and Lockhart credit—we didn't make it easy for them.

"First, we bow …"

Harry stared belligerently at Voldemort. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

"Come, Harry, the niceties must be observed," Voldemort crooned, his red eyes glittering dangerously. "Bow to death, Harry. Dumbledore would want you to."

The death eaters burst out into laughter, like what Voldemort had said was hilarious.

Harry was going to ignore him again, but then he decided to do something else. "I think bowing implies respect for your opponent, Tom Riddle, and I have none for you. So, I shall not bow."

"We bow, Harry Potter," Voldemort sneered. He was incensed that Harry would use his God-given name.

Voldemort's wand hand came up so fast that Harry didn't see it, but he sure felt the effects. Harry's body bent over in a bow, not giving him any option, although he fought against it the whole time. The laughter from the death eaters was louder than ever. When the pressure eased up, Harry stood and glared at the man who had, essentially, destroyed his childhood.

"And now, as men, we duel." Before Harry could even think of a spell to fight with, he was under the pain of Crucio. The pain was so intense that he couldn't think straight.

I hated that I had to lie here, that I had to let this all happen. Harry needed support. He needed to know he wasn't alone. I had a thought cross my mind—would Harry hate me later for letting him face this all alone?

The pain disappeared. Harry staggered to his feet, a little wobbly. He stumbled, falling at the feet of the ring of death eaters. They pulled him up and pushed him back toward Voldemort.

"You don't want me to do that again, do you, Harry?"

Again, Harry did not answer. He felt he was going to die. He could see that was what Voldemort wanted. Voldemort's red eyes glittered. He wanted Harry to die, and he was going to do it tonight.

"Answer me, Harry. You don't want me to do that again, do you? Imperio!"

I watched as the numbness descended over Harry's mind and the blissed-out feeling swept through, making him feel like he had no worries. He loved the sensation, wanting nothing more than to stay there where he had no one trying to kill him.

_Just say no … just say no … just say no._ Echoed through his mind on a continuous loop, lulling him into a false sense of security. But at the back was a persistent voice, one that was argumentative.

I will not …

_Just say no …_

I will not …

_Just say no …_

"I will not!" Harry shouted, breaking free of the Imperious Curse. He stood there, panting, as the death eaters around him stared in shock. They had never seen, or heard, about someone breaking free of one of Voldemort's curses before.

"Obedience is a virtue, Harry. Something you should learn before you die," Voldemort said quietly. You could hear the threat in his voice. "Maybe a little more pain will teach you the lesson you so need."

Voldemort might have been quick to raise his wand, but Harry was prepared this time and was that much quicker. He dove for cover behind one of the few headstones so that the spell Voldemort fired missed him by only a few inches.

"Come out, come out, Harry. We are not playing hide and seek! Are you tired of our duel already?" Voldemort called out above the laughter of the death eaters. They had started again when Harry decided he wanted to hide instead of fighting. They thought him weak and a child. They weren't wrong about one of those. He was a child, but he was stronger than any person I had ever met.

Voldemort was creeping closer to where Harry was hiding. Harry knew it. He also knew he was going to die. He looked over at me, lying here on the ground, prone—or dead to him—and knew that he wasn't going to go out hiding. He was going to do what I had done. He was going to fight. He wasn't going to die at Voldemort's feet but standing and giving him everything he had.

Harry gripped his wand tight in his right hand and waited just a few more seconds. He stood, his wand out in front of him ready. Harry spun to face Voldemort with all the courage that he could muster. Voldemort was ready for him, almost like he knew Harry wouldn't give up without a fight.

Harry shouted out "Expelliarmus" just as Voldemort cried "Avada Kedavra". As soon as the words left their mouths, a bright flash of green left the end of Voldemort's wand while a shocking burst of red left Harry's. But what was more surprising was that Harry's spell clashed … and stopped in its tracks … the unstoppable spell.

Instead of either spell making contact with the wizard they were aiming for, they connected in one long stream of magic, from one wand to the other. Red streaking out of Harry's and a green band shooting from Voldemort's, connecting in the middle to create a brilliant gold ball in the middle.

_Oomph._ Harry groaned in his thoughts, feeling the weight, and vibrations, through his wand. _What the?_

Both of their wands were sparking with unrestrained power, seizing their hands, forcing them to hold on and not let go. Harry grabbed hold of his with both hands and tried to control the tremors he was feeling.

The shock around the clearing was palpable. But as the shock wore off, the death eaters started to try to close in ranks and ask what they could do to help.

"Leave him to me!" Voldemort shouted. "He's mine!"

And even though Voldemort had told them not to, the death eaters continued to close in. Instead of them continuing to advance and interfering in what was happening, something else happened, something extraordinary, something I had never read about in all my research. Gold threads shot out from the ball in the middle, linking, circling, and swirling around the dueling pair. The dome it created pushed back the death eaters who had managed to sneak too close until it had completely sealed Harry and Voldemort inside so no one could penetrate.

As Harry looked around instead, he heard the most beautiful song start to play. He'd never heard it before but I had. It was a phoenix song. Something Fawkes would sing. It sounded to Harry … like hope. He had to hope that he could get out of this … he had to hope that Bella would be okay … he had to hope that things would all work out because if he didn't, there was no hope for anyone.

_You mustn't break the connection,_ a voice whispered in Harry's ear … a voice that sounded suspiciously like a woman.

_I know,_ Harry thought … _I won't._

But just as he thought that, the vibrations from his wand got stronger. And the streams between wands changed. Instead of just one ball of gold light in the middle, there were several along the beam. They slid along the beam, backward and forward, but as Harry began to notice the pattern they were flowing in, the balls started to slide ever so slowly in his direction, causing his wand to vibrate harder.

Harry's hands started to burn the closer the balls got to his wand, and the wand seemed to almost shake out of control. Harry thought he was going to lose control, but he dug deep and shoved all of his fear from his heart. He planted his feet and connected to the place where his magic resided, and with everything he had, he focused on bringing it out from his heart and right into the strange connection that was happening between them. The phoenix song grew louder as Harry used every fiber of his being to push those balls back toward Voldemort.

With barely an inch to spare, the balls came to a halt and started to move back toward Voldemort's wand. They crept over the golden thread, slowly at first, while Voldemort looked on in horror. Now, it was his wand that started shaking violently, as if the wand wanted to avoid being touched by those shining beads.

With an almighty push, Harry was able to get the balls all the way over. An almighty screech emitted from Voldemort's wand, as if the screams of all of his victims echoed over the graveyard, only dulled by the beautiful phoenix song. When the death scream ended, something silvery, pearly, almost translucent, seemed to try to wrestle itself out of the wand.

First, it just poked through a little, then pulled back, and poked through again. For a few seconds, it continued this trend, then all at once, a hand and forearm shot out. It waved around before it seemed to latch onto some invisible handhold. Once it did though, another hand shot out from the end of Voldemort's wand and grabbed that same handhold. All those around the graveyard could see the strain those arms were using to pull whoever it was out of the wand. It took a few moments, but with one last massive heave, a complete figure pulled itself out of Voldemort's wand.

Now back over the summer, Harry'd had a dream. In this dream, an old man had been creeping into the house that was nestled on the hill overlooking the graveyard. That poor man had been murdered simply because he had gone to inspect—what he thought—was squatters who had broken in. We had always, always suspected that it had been Voldemort, or one of his followers, who had done it. And if I hadn't believed it then, I certainly would now.

Harry's eyes lit up with recognition as Frank Bryce clambered his way out of Voldemort's wand and floated around 'til he settled inside the globe.

"A real wizard, eh?" the old man muttered as another figure fought to climb out of the wand. "You get him, son."

The next person to pull themselves free was Bertha Jorkins. This one really wasn't a surprise to me or to Harry. Voldemort had admitted earlier that he had killed her. But her … ghost … or whatever she was, was fuming mad. If she had become a ghost, I expect it would have been a poltergeist.

"How dare he!" she raged at the top of her lungs as she stormed around the dome. "How dare you!" Bertha got right in Voldemort's face. "Don't think you'll get away with this!"

Harry smirked as Voldemort seemed to cringe back a little from the vengeful spirit. Not that the death eaters took any notice. They were all struck dumb at what was happening, at the ghosts coming from Voldemort's wand, to look at the faces of the wizards inside.

By the time Bertha had taken her place inside the dome, a third figure had pulled itself from Voldemort's wand. Only this one had Harry struggling to hold onto his heavily vibrating wand.

"Mum?" Harry whispered as tears sprung into his eyes.

"Just a little while longer, my love," Lily whispered soothingly as she floated right near Harry. "Can you hang on for just a while longer?"

Harry nodded frantically while keeping his eyes on just Lily. Even when Voldemort started screeching about what was happening, and fighting to release his wand, as a few more of his victims fought their way from his wand.

"You need to take Edward back with you when you go, my love. And please don't be too mad with him. It needed to be done," Lily said, watching and waiting.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed at the cryptic words she had spoken. "What do you mean?"

"Just take him back when I tell you to release your wand." Lily looked at Harry so lovingly. I could tell just by that look how much she wanted to hug him. "For Bella."

_For Bella,_ Harry thought as he focused on his wand, pushing all the magic from his heart into the spell.

Lily comforted Harry through two more people pulling themselves from Voldemort's wand as he struggled to both hold onto it and let the spell go at the same time.

Lily looked to Harry one last time, a determined looked crossing her features. "I can only give you a little time. You must get to the portkey. And please … don't forget …"

"Edward," they finished together.

"Sweetheart, you're ready." Lily reached out to try to touch Harry, only for her hand to go right through him. They both frowned at the gesture. "Sweetheart, now! Let go!"

Harry focused on his magic once again, feeling the connection he had with his wand. He pulled it back into himself just enough to feel the connection slacken, and then wrenched his wand away. As he released the spell, the ghosts flew straight at Voldemort, and Harry ran straight for me.

When the beam between the wands was broken, the golden cage vanished as well. Voldemort was still fighting off the ghosts, and the death eaters looked on like statues. All this gave Harry the head start he needed. It wasn't long until the death eaters caught on that their dark lord wasn't in control of things anymore. They whirled around and threw curses after Harry to try to stop him from escaping. Harry zigzagged from tombstone to tombstone, throwing curses at the death eaters left and right over his shoulder.

At the back of all the mayhem, Voldemort was desperately trying to make his wand work, but the screech it let out earlier certainly seemed to have been its death cry. None of the curses he was attempting to throw were working.

I'd made sure my wand arm was outstretched toward the group of them after my wand had returned to the gauntlet, thanks to an especially clever group of spells Bella had come up with. Nobody took notice of my slight motions while Voldemort and Harry were dueling. I could fire extra defensive spells to incapacitate some of the death eaters, giving Harry a better chance to reach me and the cup.

I kept a very close eye on Harry's progress across the graveyard while I was subtly throwing spells. The ghosts were making it hard for everyone to see, but I could see Harry was about to make the last dash to me. He had nowhere else to hide.

He threw a spell over his shoulder at the incoming death eaters before he pushed off the tombstone and sprinted in my direction. I couldn't believe how fast he made the dash, but at the very last second, Harry tripped over a small rise in the dirt. He landed with a thump on my chest. I wrapped my right arm around Harry's waist, causing him to gasp as I reached out for the cup with my left. I prayed to everything and every deity out there that the portkey would take us back to Hogwarts.

The familiar hook behind my navel had me blowing out the breath I had been holding onto for much too long. The graveyard, Voldemort, and the death eaters vanished as we were pulled through space. Voldemort's screeching cry of rage was the last thing I heard.

Where would we end up?

~*~UHS~*~

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**So what's going to happen to Harry and Edward? What are your theories on where they will end up? Let me know what you think.**

**See you in a fortnight!**


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two - After the Graveyard

**Hello everyone! I cannot believe we are almost done. This is the second to last chapter - only one more to go. **

**For those of you not in the group, I am donating a piece to the Fandoms 4 Relief - Australia. This piece will be Alice's Lesson. It's an outtake from the first Under Her Spell book, when Alice had to change how she viewed her visions. I hope that you will all consider donating to support a cause very near and dear to me. I live in Australia, and the devastation has been ... well there are no words. If you donate you will receive the compilation, and be some of the first to view this outtake.**

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**See you at the bottom.**

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**Chapter Twenty-Two ~ After the Graveyard**

I had landings from wrestling matches with my brothers softer than what Harry and I experienced when we landed back at Hogwarts. There was no build up, no feeling of dropping, when we reappeared at the beginning of the maze. That might have been because I never actually let go of the portkey. But it felt like we were forcefully thrown from the space we were travelling through.

I was tossed onto my back, landing with a thump that shook the ground beneath us, and Harry landed on my chest, getting winded in the process. I groaned at the impact, causing Harry to sit up and reach for my face.

"Edward! You're alive? Does that mean Bella's not going to kill me?"

I couldn't help but let out a breathless chuckle at Harry's last question. "No, Harry. She's not going to kill you."

Celebratory music was blaring from all around us and everyone was in a good mood. At least, until they realized that something was wrong. Then the music cut off mid note, leaving a sour sound floating on the breeze. The cheers were silenced almost immediately, and the talking dropped off into nothing. The shock that floated around the stadium was almost as deafening as the sound they were making just seconds ago.

"Edward!" Bella screamed from the seats they had taken, renting the air. The sound was jarring to so many. I picked up Bella's thoughts as the spectators started to whisper. _I know you're okay. You promised me you would be okay. But this would be expected from me._ I could hear her jump from the seat, over the bannister, and land on the grass before she streaked over to where I was. She dropped to her knees at the top of my head, leaning down to shield me from the world with her hair as she kissed me as deeply as she could. "You are okay, right?"

I kissed her again, and again, just because I could, as I wrapped my arms around her head and shoulders. "I'm fine, sweet girl. You played your part well, and your vest worked just as it was supposed to. I didn't feel a thing."

"Thank Merlin." She sighed, sagging against me before she smirked. "Your friend found me."

It was at this time that Dumbledore, Esme, and Carlisle reached us. It was Professor Dumbledore who spoke first. "Mr. Masen? Mr. Potter? What's going on?"

"He's back!" Harry cried, standing up, all but collapsing into Shane's arms as he and Sirius reached us as well. "Voldemort is back."

I stood slowly once Bella let me up and held her tightly in my arms as I looked around at the crowd. Obviously, they had been listening as there were shocked faces staring back at me. It was on my second look around that I saw something I missed the first time. Over near the entrance to the castle, I saw Emmett and Jasper with Junior being held between them. Emmett and Jasper were both restraining him by holding an arm each. They weren't letting him go any time soon. But it was the other trio who really captured my attention. Alice and Rosalie stood on either side of the real Alistair Moody. While he was missing his eye, it was the leg that caught my attention. Earlier in the year, I had Kreacher deliver an item to Moody in the bottom of his trunk. It had come from our good friend Opi. That item was a new leg. This one had an articulated foot that enabled Moody to move around with greater mobility, and he wouldn't have to limp anymore, meaning that it was possible he might be able to sneak up on someone once more.

Bella must have followed where my gaze had gone, and she filled me in through her thoughts. _Your new friend, Salem, found me not long after you sent him to me. I knew from your short patronus and from his appearance that something was wrong. Granted, we'd already known it was going to go bad. I spoke to Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice, and we decided that if we didn't get Junior now, he'd try to either get Harry or make a get-a-way._

"Nobody's noticed them?" I whispered at vampire pitch.

_No,_ Bella thought as our siblings all shook their heads. _They are just out of sight there._

"What do you mean, Harry?" Professor Dumbledore asked, alarmed. He hadn't expected anything else could go wrong.

"What's going on?" Cornelius Fudge's face appeared from over Dumbledore's shoulder. "Why aren't we celebrating?"

I couldn't stand this man, and I had a feeling, an inkling, that he was going to bury his head in the sand. Instead of making Harry repeat himself since he seemed to be on the edge of passing out, I continued, "The cup was a portkey …"

"Yes, it was supposed to be!" Fudge interrupted. "It brought you back here."

I snorted. This man was dense, and he was going to hate what I was about to say. "No. It first took us to a graveyard … in Little Hangleton … next to a large manor … where we watched as Voldemort was brought back from near death."

Fudge's face paled, and his head started to shake left and right, as if in denial. I wasn't sure it was even voluntary. His thoughts however … _Not possible. It can't be possible._

But what I wanted to achieve had happened. Whispers of "he's back" and "Voldemort! How did that happen?" started up. Fudge's face went from pale to downright panic.

"We need to get everyone away from here," Fudge said, his voice abnormally high. "We can discuss it after we get the children back in the castle." With that, he spun around and started to direct the teachers. He didn't want any witnesses to the coming conversation.

Professor Dumbledore watched him go, nodding at the professors who looked to him for conformation. Poor Harry was just about sobbing in Shane's arms—he was so exhausted from his fight. He truly had fought for his life tonight. I stood quietly with Bella in my arms but dropped one to run it over Salem's head and along his body as he made his way to me and wrapped himself around me before he sat next to us.

Bella giggled and leaned down to give him a head scratch of her own. "Are we keeping him?"

_Yes … yes, you are._ Salem purred under her ministrations. He may be my cat, but he would never turn down a scratch from my mate. I couldn't wait to see if he behaved like other cats and put his ass in Emmett's face.

"I believe I may be just as adept at collecting pets as you are, Bella. He's planning on living with us, yes."

Bella giggled at my wording. But Esme and Carlisle rolled their eyes. They couldn't believe that we'd gone eighty years without ever accumulating any pets, but within years of living in the magical world, we had three unicorns, a hippogriff, three flying dogs, and now a kneazle.

"Any more and we can open our own zoo," Carlisle said as he and Esme walked over to us. Both of them pulling me into a hug to make sure I was okay.

"Don't think that Emmett hasn't thought of it," I warned, pulling Bella back into my arms.

Sirius and Shane continued to try to calm Harry down, even going so far as to find him some chocolate and giving him something warm to drink while we all waited quietly for the stadium seats to empty. I looked over to where our siblings had been, only to see that they were no longer there with Moody and Junior.

_Don't worry, Edward, we're still here,_ Jasper thought. _I can see you. We're under the stands. We all want to know what happened. You've got a smart one there in Bella._

I kissed the top of Bella's head at that thought, giving her a smile when she looked up at me because Jasper was right. It was a smart thing what Bella had done, getting Junior when she did. Something I should have thought of before going into that maze.

_But we want to know everything. What the hell has been going on this year that you haven't told us?_ _How are we supposed to prepare, and plan, for danger if you don't tell us these things?_ I nodded to Jasper's thoughts. I should have told them. I looked down at Bella—we should have told them. It's not just us at Hogwarts who were in danger.

"Come, come, sit." Professor Dumbledore guided us over to the bottom seats of the stadium once everyone had gone back into the castle. He looked over both of us as we sat down in front of him. Bella held my hand while Esme sat on my other side. Harry had been squished between Sirius and Shane. "It seems that a lot has happened this year. Want to fill me in?"

Bella and I started to tell our story, right from the word go. As we spoke, other adults, professors, judges, and family alike came to listen.

"Wait," Esme whispered early on in the retelling. "You're saying you discovered that one of your teachers wasn't who he was supposed to be, and you didn't tell anyone? Why not?"

"Would you have listened? We didn't exactly have any proof," I answered her. "Besides … when it happened the last time, I was told to watch, wait, and listen. To try to figure out what was going on."

Esme looked furious. "Who told you to do that?"

I smirked as Dumbledore shuffled a little. "Uh … Esme, dear, that would have been me. And Edward's right. I probably would have told him to do the same thing this time."

"What happened next?" Carlisle asked. I could see that Sirius was taking notes while Harry was resting against Shane with his eyes closed.

"We did just that. Bella and I listened, watched, and waited. Eventually, we discovered that while our teacher was not Alistair Moody, he was on school grounds. We just had to find him."

"Who was he?"

"At that point in time, we had no idea … eventually, we found the real Moody, so I met with him, and we devised a plan."

Bella and I talked all the way through until the night we met Ludo Bagman to show us the maze in the Quidditch stadium with little to no interruptions. We told just about every detail, except who the intruder pretending to be Moody was. Bella and I could see that we were getting under Professor Dumbledore's skin. The more we told, the angrier he became. By the time we got to this point in the story, we had been rejoined by several professors, Like McGonagall and Snape, as well as some of the other judges, such as Madame Maxime and Ludo Bagman himself. And last, but certainly not least, was our Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

"I remember that night," Professor Dumbledore said slowly. "That was the night Bartemius Crouch appeared on the grounds."

I nodded, looking at my hands. "That was the night Bartemius Crouch lost his life—the night that Bartemius Crouch Junior killed his father and hid the body."

I flinched at the gasps because I knew what was coming next.

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked quietly. "You said nothing happened!"

"And if what you say is true, where is Barty's body? We would have found it by now surely!" Fudge demanded.

"Oh!" Bella stood and pointed at the minister. "Like you did such a thorough job when your ministry explored all the information when it came to Buckbeak's trial? If you couldn't investigate that incident properly, why would we believe you could find an entire body?"

I snorted at the horrified look on Fudge's face. He never thought that a case involving a creature would be thrown back in his face like that.

"My girl never forgets anything, Minister, much like myself. It's the advantage we have over normal, everyday mortals." I turned to Dumbledore. "You're right. I did tell you that I saw nothing. But I did so on the advice of someone who has been unfailingly honest about everything. Who tells me all he knows, without prompting or hesitation."

I expected a reaction out of Dumbledore. He knew I was calling him out on the evasiveness of his actions, of the information he provided us, and I wasn't disappointed. His eyes narrowed, and his hands twitched. But still, he stubbornly held onto his thoughts. "And who might that be?" he asked.

"That would be me," Alistair said as he stepped forward between Alice and Rose. Bella and I had heard the squeak that Alistair's new leg made, and only the squeak, as he approached. So had Carlisle and Esme, but nobody else had. They spun around to see who had spoken. "I was the one to tell Edward not to tell anyone what had happened."

"Why would you do such a thing? Things could have been prevented!" Dumbledore argued.

Alistair pointed at Dumbledore, his good eye glaring at him. "That's why. It had to happen." Moody looked at Harry, still shuddering in Shane's arms, before looking back at me. "Edward, what did happen tonight?"

"Phew … where to begin?" I huffed a laugh.

"We saw some of what happened in the maze, Edward," Bella spoke softly from my side. "Professor McGonagall was able to set up a series of screens—holograms—that followed the champions through the maze. But I think we need to know what you experienced. Start from the beginning."

I scrubbed my hands over my face before looking around at everyone who had gathered. Esme was sitting next to me, rubbing my back. Bella was curled into my side, my arm around her shoulders. Carlisle was sitting behind Esme but closer to me. Shane and Sirius were still sitting to Bella's right with Harry in between. We were a close bunch, and I knew we would be looking after each other, a lot, in the days to come.

Rose and Alice were still with Moody, and Jasper and Emmett still had Junior under control under the bleachers. Everyone else was just standing around looking at me … at us.

"Professor Dumbledore was right," I said, dropping my hands, "The maze was … something else. And it messed with my head something shocking. Although, I'm not sure that was the maze. It may have been the fact that the imposter masquerading as Professor Moody was making sure Harry's way through the maze was as clear as possible."

I answered a few questions about the things that the others had seen via the holograms and while we hurtled through the maze.

"So, Viktor was being controlled by the Imperious Curse, and he took out Fleur?" Sirius asked, not out of shock but just as confirmation.

"Yeah. Are they okay?"

"They are, Edward." Bella looked up at me. "Both are up in the hospital wing, recovering from their ordeal. What happened next?"

"After Harry and I made it through the last couple of obstacles we both made a dash for the cup. I had to tell Harry that the things had to happen a certain way. He wasn't happy with me …"

_I'm still not,_ Harry growled in his thoughts.

I sighed, knowing it was going to take time for Harry to forgive me … us. We had a lot of making up to do for everything we've kept to ourselves this year. And he was only just starting to realize how much we had kept him in the dark.

"We grabbed the cup together and ended up at the graveyard alongside Tom Riddle Senior's house in Little Hangleton. It was there that Voldemort collected certain … items … that he needed to regain his mortal body once again."

Alistair frowned. "What did he use?"

I opened my mouth to answer but another voice jumped in before I could. "'Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will resurrect your son,'" Harry recited verbatim."Voldemort held me hostage against the statue on his father's grave and had Wormtail take a bone from the casket." It seemed what Harry had experienced was going to stay with him, and I couldn't say I blamed him.

"'Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master.' Without hesitation Wormtail gladly cut off his hand. 'Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe.'" Harry let his arm flop down onto his lap, face up. "Wormtail brought the same knife he had cut his hand off with, sliced my arm open, and collected my blood. All those things Wormtail put in a large cauldron filled with sparkling water. He then put in what looked like a baby-sized monster but was actually what was left of Voldemort. Everything reacted, and Voldemort stepped out of the cauldron, fully restored, if not entirely human looking."

I sighed as Harry finished. "And after he stepped out, a rather large group of death eaters made their way to his side. Including one executioner McNair"—my eyes slid to Fudge—"and one of the sacred twenty-eight families … Lucius Malfoy."

Fudge froze, hearing that name, and he started to panic. Malfoy was apparently a big supporter of his, and he had never believed the rumors of him being a death eater. In fact, he wasn't the only one who panicked at hearing that Voldemort was back and the death eaters responded to the call.

For several minutes, people panicked but remained quiet, locked in their thoughts.

Moody clapped his hands once, taking charge since it seemed Dumbledore wasn't sure what to do. "Right. We need to send some people to that graveyard, see if there's anybody left. Albus, will you do that?" At Dumbledore's nod, Moody continued. "Good. Severus, I need you to go and get me some Veritaserum because we have someone we need to interrogate. Ladies, would you mind getting a chair?"

Alice darted off to the side and brought a chair she had placed there earlier, not knowing what exactly it was for, while Snape made for the castle as fast as he could.

"Thank you, my dear. Emmett, Jasper, if you please?"

At Moody's words, my brothers frog-marched Junior out from under the bleachers and forced him into the chair. With a flick of Moody's wand, ropes sprung out from the end and tied Junior into place.

"Jasper, do you think you could retrieve my eye?"

Jasper smirked, sending a little bit of fear in Junior's direction, before he made his way over. Jasper stood behind Junior, leaned down, and breathed on his neck. "It would only take one small nick, one small bite on your neck here, and you would be dead in seconds." Jasper took a deep breath. "Mmmm, your blood smells so good. Do you think anyone would mind if I had a little sip?"

Snorts sounded from all around the stadium as the vampires listened to Jasper. Even Moody had a small smirk on his face.

Jasper let his hand fall onto Junior's shoulder, causing him to flinch, before Jasper reached for the strap that held Moody's eye to Junior's face. Once he had removed it, he leaned back down to Junior's ear. "You're really lucky that we want answers or I might have been severely tempted to … take … a … drink." With that, Jasper mashed his teeth together before laughing and walking away. Jasper held his arm out when he got close to Moody. "Here you go, sir."

"Thank you, Jasper," Moody said as he affixed his eye back into place, hiding the fact that part of his head was missing. It rolled around a few times before it settled into place, looking right at Junior. "Fantastic. That feels much better. Seeing out of one eye was uncomfortable. Before I ask this handsome man …" Moody paused, smiling as Bella, Alice, and Rose giggled at him "… any questions, why did Voldemort need Harry's blood and not just any old enemy?"

I looked up at Moody, who was studying both Harry and me. I waited, but it seemed Harry had done all the talking we were going to get out of him for now. "After a very long-winded history lesson from the man himself, at least his version of it, he told Harry it had to be him and nobody else. When Voldemort went after Harry, he had no beef with Lily. The reason the spell rebounded off of Harry was because Lily cast old protective magic when she took Harry's place at the end of Voldemort's wand. She sacrificed herself for Harry, and that meant …"

"Voldemort could no longer touch Harry at all," Dumbledore breathed.

"Yes, sir." I nodded. "And now that he used Harry's blood, he's able to touch him. It causes him a lot of pain, but he can touch him."

"Damn." Moody shook his head. "And tonight, he failed to kill him. So, he'll still believe that Harry will be his downfall, for real this time."

Once again, panic spread around the group. Many thoughts were fighting for control in my mind. In fact, they were all starting to give me a headache, so much so that I almost missed the thoughts that were cheering the fact that Voldemort could now touch Harry. How could someone—I was pretty sure who, even though it was hard to narrow down, considering the state of the thoughts floating around—be happy that one of the most feared dark wizards of all time could now touch the one person who may be able to end him? It struck me as odd, very odd.

Snape reappeared as Moody turned around to face Junior, who had been surprisingly quiet through all of this. What stood out, though, was the fact that he was smiling. It was crazy looking and made him look completely mad. Snape handed over the Veritaserum without a word, shuddering as he did so, and stepped backward.

"Thank you, Severus. Emmett, if you could open his mouth for me," Moody suggested with a wave of his hand toward Junior.

Emmett took a few steps forward and reached out to tilt Junior's head backward. But just as he made contact with his skin, it started to roll and bubble, like it was boiling from the inside out. Emmett cringed and stepped backward. "What the?"

"Ah, so that was who was stealing your stores, Severus," Dumbledore murmured quietly. "Polyjuice potion."

Snape frowned but gave a non-committal "hmm".

The man hiding in the Moody suit stretched and fought, groaned and cried out, all while his skin boiled and his bones broke and healed. Bella buried her head in my chest as his form truly became grotesque, switching between faces.

"Ewww. It wasn't that gross on Harry," Bella mumbled from my chest. I shuddered because she was right. It hadn't been that gross on Harry. But it was also like watching a train wreck—you couldn't keep your eyes off of it.

Moody's old leg fell with a thud to the dirt below as Junior's leg began to grown back in its place. With one last guttural scream the fake Moody shrank in body size, curled in on itself, and then shuddered, panting, with his eyes facing the floor. Emmett and Jasper took their places behind the chair, just in case, even though he was held in place by the ropes. I couldn't help myself. I had to know what he looked like. I leaned forward, Bella held securely in my arms, and peered up into the eyes of the man who hoodwinked most of Hogwarts all year.

His fair hair was matted and filthy, sticking to his scalp. The lines around his eyes were much more prominent than the youthful skin he had sported in the pensieve while he had been trying to convince his father, and the other wizards at the Wizengamot, that he was innocent. He was nothing like I imagined yet everything at the same time.

Junior was peering at me with a twisted, maniacal smile on his face. It was like he had anticipated that someone would do exactly that. The smile turned into more of a smirk as his tongue darted out—much like a snake would—before he tried to launch himself across the space between us. He didn't get far, due to the ropes around him and my brothers, but that didn't stop him from trying. He struggled for a few minutes, really trying to get out of his bonds, then he just flopped back into his seat.

"Barty Crouch Junior," Moody crooned. "How is it that you came to be outside of Azkaban?"

Instead of answering, Junior surveyed all those around him, that smirk still fixed on his face. That was until he got to Harry. I could see Junior's left arm roll beneath his sleeve the longer he stared in Harry's direction, and even more so when Harry turned to look at him.

"I'll show you mine, if you show me yours?" Junior taunted Harry.

"Pull up his sleeve, Em," I murmured.

Shane reached down for Harry's right arm as Em pulled up the sleeve of Junior's left. There, plain as day for anyone to see, was the evidence that Harry's story wasn't just that, a story. But what caught my attention was the tattoo on Junior's arm. Most tattoos of the dark mark that I had seen were soft, darkening, but soft around the edges. Junior's tattoo, though, was crisp. It was darker than any other tattoo I had ever seen.

I wondered just how long Bartemius Crouch Junior had had his tattoo. And if his tattoo was new, what did that mean?

There were more gasps from the peanut gallery as they all got a look at both of their arms. I could hear several swear words flow through the minds of my brothers. They knew, as did Dumbledore and Moody, what that one tattoo meant. Fudge though? I had a feeling he was going to be an issue. Because for as much as he didn't want to admit what was staring him in the face, he was loath to do that exact thing. He was not going to accept that Voldemort was back.

"He's back!" Junior hissed. "Voldemort's back!"

"Can you tell us where he is now?" Alistair asked but sighed when Junior's mouth snapped closed. Alistair waved his hand in Junior's direction. "Emmett, if you please?"

Emmett nodded and stepped forward. He gripped Junior just hard enough on the forehead and his jaw to make sure that he opened his mouth. Alistair stepped forward and poured the Veritaserum in Junior's mouth. He took a few steps backward and watched as Emmett held Junior's mouth closed until Junior had no choice but to swallow the potion.

"Now that's out of the way. Barty Junior, can you tell me where Voldemort is right now?" Alistair asked a second time.

A few of the teachers who had been watching made their way back into the castle as Junior struggled to not answer the question. The only teachers left watching were Dumbledore, Moody, and Snape. Shane, Sirius, and Harry were still here, as well as our family, Bella, and me. We weren't going anywhere. I was surprised Fudge was still here, and I wondered for how much longer.

"I have no idea!" Junior spat, pulling me from my thoughts. "The tattoo has stopped calling me, and until it starts again, I have no idea where he is."

That answered a question I had. It seemed that the tattoos did act like a homing beacon, calling the death eaters to their master.

Moody rolled his eyes. "When did you become a death eater?"

This time, Junior's answer was swifter. "After I entered Azkaban."

"That's not true!" Fudge shouted. "You were sent to Azkaban for your part in the capture and torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom!"

Junior snorted. "I was there—at their house—on orders of the Ministry of Magic and my father. We knew they were a target of Voldemort's. We knew he'd send someone after them. My father wanted to check on them as we hadn't heard from them in a few days, so he sent me. I just happened to show up just as the death eaters came out laughing and jeering. Simple matter of wrong place, wrong time. And then Karkaroff took advantage of that fact to escape his imprisonment at Azkaban. It was a mistake on behalf of the Ministry and my father."

Fudge scoffed and waved his hand at Junior. "We don't make mistakes at the ministry, and I don't have to listen to this." With that, Fudge turned and stormed toward the castle. He didn't want to hear anymore, but he didn't have a clear idea what he was going to do, except to go to Dumbledore's office.

Moody hummed, watching Fudge walk away. "So, you were innocent when you entered Azkaban? What happened to change you into a death eater?"

"Have you ever been in that place? The horrors that the prisoners are forced to live with?" Junior demanded, struggling against his ropes. The look on his face was haunted.

"No, I've never been there. Put plenty in there though. What is it like?" Moody asked, rubbing his chin.

I could see through Junior's mind what it was like living in Azkaban. I would compare it to the internment camps that were all over Germany during the Second World War.

"Torture. Those soul-sucking bastards tortured us. We were cold, barely fed, and slept on tiny, thin straw mattresses. We had a sheet to keep us warm. And every chance the dementors got, they sucked out a little more of us. We all went crazy!" Junior screamed out.

_Oh, dear,_ Bella thought._ Should prisoners be kept like that? That doesn't seem like ideal living conditions._

"It's not, not really. But how do you keep a witch or wizard imprisoned?" I said back to her. Bella just shrugged.

Junior panted. "Every one of us was going mad, locked up in those conditions. We barely ate, hardly slept, we weren't given much water. Worst of all, we never bathed. It was madness. Crazy … crazy … crazy!" Junior shook his head back and forth. Whether to shake the images rattling around in his brain—of him in his cell rocking to and fro, covering his head—or to try to gain control of his mouth, I couldn't tell. "It was there I pledged my loyalty to the dark lord. It was there I promised that if he could release me then I'd do anything I could for him. And he did! He made it happen. I got free!"

Moody started pacing around the clearing set between the seats and the entrance to the maze. His mind racing a mile a minute, remembering how Rabastan Lestrange escaped from Azkaban the year before. "And just how did you get free?"

"My mother …" Junior's voice shuttered. For all his faults, he had loved his mother, and telling this part of the story still affected him. "She knew she was dying, and she convinced my father to come see me so she could see me one last time. What he didn't know—at the time—was that she had brewed some polyjuice potion, for her and for me … and when he was distracted, we swapped places. By the time he figured it out, we were back home, and she had been killed by the dementors."

"My god …" Esme breathed. Although she could understand a mother's love that would do anything to save her son.

"What happened next?" Moody asked. He wanted to continue the interrogation before the Veritaserum wore off.

"I tried to escape my father, just once, when we returned home. After that, he kept me under the Imperious Curse."

_Geez, this truth serum gets them to spill everything, doesn't it?_ Bella snorted, looking up at me. _How are you feeling?_

I kissed her gently on the mouth. "I'm fine, sweetheart. No lasting effects. Your vest did exactly what you designed it to. I didn't feel a thing."

_I'm glad. Love you, Edward._

I kissed her again as I tuned back into what Junior was saying. "While I was under the curse, Winky was my keeper. She looked after me. Made sure I did everything I was told. Went where she did because my father had tethered us together. He kept me on a very short leash, and I was usually kept at home. That was until the day of the World Cup."

I listened halfheartedly as Junior told about that day from the start. I compared it to what Winky had told us when she came to confess all that she had seen when she was working for Crouch. His story followed the same events that Winky had told Bella and me.

"It was just good luck that the other death eaters attacked when they did. I was able to fight off the last of the Imperious Curse and force Winky to follow me into the woods. She fought, oh did she fight, but she was no match for me. It was there that I was able to get a hold of a wand from some redheaded boy …"

_Ron's wand,_ Bella whispered in her thoughts as she looked up at me again, to which I nodded.

"My dear father was smart. He had placed an invisibility cloak over me so I could be hidden from everyone. Once I was deep enough in the woods, I slipped the cloak off my shoulders and used my stolen wand to cast the spell that would fire the dark mark into the sky. I had just pulled the cloak back over my head when both Winky and I were stunned."

I shook my head. "And that's when Senior dismissed Winky, blaming her for the whole incident when it was actually you." I pointed at Junior.

"Yes, yes!" he nodded enthusiastically. "He was even stricter with cursing me after that, but I found it easier and easier to slip out of it. It kept up like that until one day Bertha Jorkins came to visit. She saw me, so Dad made her forget. He blocked her memories of me. But one day … one day, the Dark Lord showed anyway, saying that Bertha had told him where to find me. He set me free for a second time. And I promised him my fealty, my loyalty. And he rewarded me with my first mission. To become the great, and feared, Alistair Moody and take his place at Hogwarts. I had to make sure that Harry Potter was entered into the tournament, and that he won. And I did. I shall be rewarded handsomely."

Mouths had dropped open at the telling of Junior's story. Things were a lot more involved that we thought, and Voldemort was a lot more informed. Did he still have someone on the inside?

Professor Dumbledore was the next to ask questions. "What happened to your father? Why did you have to kill him?"

Junior growled, actually growled, before he spat the words out. "Wormtail was supposed to be watching my father, keeping him under the same curse that he had kept me under. But he got careless, or reckless, hell even both probably. I received word that he had escaped. I knew he would come to you. The great and almighty Dumbledore."

Bella and I snickered quietly when we saw Dumbledore's face flush slightly, even though Junior hadn't meant it as a compliment.

"I just had to bide my time until he reached Hogwarts. It was fortuitous timing that he arrived when he did. I had been in the woods already, wandering and waiting. I had been watching the proceedings on the Quidditch pitch. I saw when Viktor and Harry were left alone, and when they were approached by my father. All I had to do was wait until Harry left, then I stunned Viktor and led my father into the woods where I killed him and covered him with an invisibility cloak."

Junior snickered before his tongue poked out of his mouth, something that had been happening a lot as he spoke. I almost expected it to be forked. "Then once you sent me back into the woods to 'find' him, I simply returned to his body, transfigured him into a bone, and buried him in the freshly dug earth behind Hagrid's cabin. As if that oaf would notice it had been dug up."

"You leave him alone!" Bella fumed, standing from her seat at my side. "Hagrid is ten times the man you will ever be!"

"Ten times the size of me," Junior snickered. Completely unrepentant for everything he had done.

Alistair turned to see who was left in the seating area. "Emmett, Jasper, can you and your lovely ladies please escort Barty Junior up to the highest tower where the cells are for safe keeping until we can transfer him back to Azkaban?"

Emmett and Jasper nodded. While Alice and Rose responded with a "sure".

"I'll be treated like a hero! Do you hear me? A hero!" Junior shouted over and over again as Emmett and Jasper hauled him out of his chair and started dragging him away. Before they made it too far, Jasper used his powers to send Junior to sleep.

"Pfft, like we ever have time for heroes," Alistair muttered. "Esme, can you please contact Azkaban and alert them to the fact that they are missing a prisoner?"

"Of course, Alistair," Esme replied. She kissed both Bella and me before she left to do as Moody had asked.

"And, Carlisle, can you head up to the hospital wing and help Madam Pomfrey prepare for some visitors."

Carlisle clapped me on the shoulder and kissed Bella on the top of the head before he stood. "Absolutely. We'll be ready by the time you get there."

"Bella, I think you need to head up to Gryffindor tower," Dumbledore said, looking directly at her.

"She's not leaving!" I fumed just as Bella vehemently stated, "I'm not going anywhere!"

I could hear the growl from her snow leopard building in her chest, and I knew she would shift if she was so much as pushed any more. I wrapped my arms around her and drew her back to my chest. "You don't have to go, Bella. No-one is going to make you."

"That's right," Alistair agreed, his eyes on Dumbledore. "Please sit back down. I only have a question or two more to ask before Edward and Harry go up to the hospital wing anyway."

"Good," she grumbled, sitting down as close as she could next to me. In fact, if she had been any closer, she would have been on my lap. "Harry needs to be looked at. Edward just needs to be away from everyone in Gryffindor tower."

Alistair breathed deeply, looking around at those who were left. "We need someone to go and dig up that bone from Hagrid's garden. But that can wait. What we need to know is what happened after Voldemort emerged from that cauldron."

Both Harry and I stayed quiet. I was waiting for him to tell what happened from his point of view. Harry didn't want to talk about it, even though I thought he should.

"Harry?" Shane asked.

Harry shook his head. "No. I'm not talking about it. You want what happened, ask Edward. He was there. And apparently, he was alive, awake, whatever through the whole thing."

I dropped my head as Bella sucked in a gasp. "Harry," she whispered.

"No, Bella. Just no. Edward wasn't the only one who kept things from me. Just, please, give me some time."

"Okay," Bella whispered again, curling into my side. I could tell she was upset about the fact that Harry was upset with us, but she couldn't really blame him either.

_I'm sorry, Edward, _Moody thought, looking at me. I shook my head, showing him that he wasn't to blame. We could have told him, and the others, at any time. We just chose not to.

_Okay._ Moody nodded back. "Edward, what happened?"

I sighed and looked over to Harry. "Voldemort had had this planned down to the smallest detail, except for me. After we arrived, we were confronted by Wormtail …" I explained everything that had happened before, and after, Voldemort stepped out of the cauldron. "Harry was brilliant. He truly held his own when Voldemort forced him into a duel. He withstood being tortured by the Cruciatus Curse; he battled with heart, even when he thought I was dead. I couldn't be prouder of him."

Harry scoffed internally but otherwise remained silent.

"They dueled for a few minutes, trading spells, all while Harry avoided Voldemort's. He dove behind a couple of gravestones, trying to take a breather, all the while Voldemort taunted him." I took a deep breath because this next part was something I didn't understand. "Harry was concerned; he knew he couldn't keep fighting; he knew he couldn't win against Voldemort, not yet. So, Harry determined that he was going to give one last good fight. He was going to give him everything he had. When Harry stood from his hiding place and faced Voldemort, they both fired a spell—Voldemort sent Avada Kedavra, Harry returned with Expelliarmus—but instead of the killing curse bowling through everything between it and Harry, it was stopped. The two spells connected in the middle of the two dueling wizards."

Moody had stopped pacing when I reached the pinnacle of the story, and Dumbledore's head snapped up to stare at me. Neither of their minds revealed what they were thinking however. Dumbledore still had his mind closed, and Moody's was flipping through things so fast that I couldn't keep up.

"What happened next?" Dumbledore demanded.

"When the death eaters started to step forward to … I don't know … stop whatever was happening, several golden threads flew out from where the spells connected and created a large dome around the pair of them. None of the death eaters could reach them. They tried, boy did they try, but the dome stopped every single one of them." I continued to explain about the golden thread that stayed connected and the balls that were floating along the thread. I also explained how the wands would vibrate if those balls came close, or connected, with them.

"Harry?" Dumbledore asked, kneeling down next to our friend. "Harry? You saw your mother, didn't you?"

One small short nod was all Dumbledore received so he turned back to me.

"Yeah," I breathed. "Lily, Frank Bryce, Bertha Jorkins, and several other 'people' came out of the end of Voldemort's wand."

Moody and Dumbledore looked at each other for a long second. There was a silent communication passing between them, but I wasn't privy to what they were saying. For some reason, Moody had slipped a cloak over his immediate thoughts. I could have gone around the cloak, but I knew that Moody would tell us eventually. Dumbledore shook his head, but Moody's eye narrowed.

"He needs to know. They all need to know," Moody growled.

"Why? What good will it possibly do?" Dumbledore asked, standing from his crouched position.

Moody just pointed at Harry. "Because at this point, I imagine that Harry wonders whether his mother can come back. That if she could come out of Voldemort's wand, whether we could bring her back from the dead, and are just not doing it."

"Oh, Harry, no," Shane breathed, pushing Harry away slightly to bring his face up to see him better. "You know that's not possible, right?"

Harry tensed. "But why? Edward got his parents back through the Mirror of Erised, as did Bella with her dad. Why can't my mum come back? What about me?"

Bella and I looked down guiltily. He was right; we did get our family back in some semblance. But … "That might be true, Harry, but we had to lose all of our family first. You still have some of your family," Bella pointed out quietly.

"And part of yours is still alive, too!" Harry shouted as he stood and pointed at Bella.

"Hey!" I growled instinctively. "Do not talk to my mate like that. You need to be respectful."

Bella placed her hand on my arm, gently pulling me down next to her. "It's okay, Edward. He has a right to be upset."

"This is why they need to know, Albus. Why Harry needs to know." Moody looked around at all of us. "What happened with Harry and Voldemort's wands is a phenomenon called Priori Incantatum. This phenomenon can only happen with 'brother wands'—wands that have the same inner core from the same donor. It's the reverse spell effect. In laymen's terms, one wand forces the other to regurgitate spells in reverse. For instance …"

"The last spell cast, which happened to be the killing curse," I finished for Moody. "And as such, all of the essence of the people killed recently were released from the wand. Does that mean they are now at rest?" I asked this for Harry because he was horrified at the thought that his mother had been trapped in Voldemort's wand for the last thirteen years.

Moody gave me a look. One that indicated that he knew the question wasn't for me, and that I should have let Harry ask his own question. "They always have been. The wand is much like the pictures that are taken. They move, they can interact, but they are not the real person. They are a snapshot, an image of that person when they were alive. Lily, and all of Voldemort's other victims, are at peace wherever they may be."

I nodded, and pulled Bella closer to me, nuzzling the top of her head and closing my eyes. She let out a breath and snuggled in closer, her thoughts running along a similar vein as mine. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like for me to see her likeness come out of the end of that vile man's wand. It would have just about killed me.

I was brought out of my morbid thoughts by Dumbledore. He had knelt down in front of Harry and placed a warm, careful hand on his injured arm. "You have been so brave, my boy. So, so brave. You faced your worst nightmare and lived through it a second time. Bravery doesn't even begin to cover what you have been through tonight." Dumbledore stood and looked down at Harry with what looked like genuine remorse. "I think it's time we all head up to the hospital wing for some well-earned rest." I opened my mouth, but Dumbledore beat me to it. "You too, Edward. I know you didn't actually die tonight, but I want you to rest, and if you go to the common room, that won't happen. Bella can come with you of course."

I nodded and picked up my sleepy girl. It was getting late and all the worry this tournament had caused her was starting to catch up. I followed Shane, Sirius, and Harry slowly up to the hospital wing because Harry was adamant about making his way up himself. Carlisle and Madam Pomfrey were waiting for us when we entered the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey showed Harry to a bed on one side of the wing while Carlisle directed Bella and me to another. This bed looked slightly different, and it took me a minute to realize that they had made it wider so Bella and I could lie on it comfortably.

"Thank you," I whispered to Carlisle as I placed Bella on the bed and covered her. She was already asleep.

"It was all Poppy's idea. She knew you wouldn't be far from each other tonight." Carlisle rested his hand upon my shoulder and looked me square in the eyes. "I want you to know that I wish I could give you what Poppy is about to give Harry, that you could sleep, without dreams, for a short while tonight. The sleeping draught is strong but not made for vampires …" Carlisle hesitated for a moment. "Maybe we could work on adjusting it together? To be able to sleep would be wonderful."

I nodded. I could see that Carlisle had really taken an interest in potion making. The kit that Bella had given him at Christmas last year was something he really enjoyed. He may not have any magical ability, but he was finding ways to make it work. "I think I'd like that, Dad. I have something that can test it safely for us too. Maybe we could get you one."

Carlisle beamed, pulling me into a rough hug. "Now, get to bed, young man."

I chuckled at Carlisle's mock stern tone and finger pointed at me as I climbed into bed. I was glad Carlisle and I had gotten some semblance of our former relationship back. We wouldn't be the same, but I was beginning to think we could be even better.

~*~UHS~*~

It was finally quiet in the hospital wing and the castle itself. All of the students had gone to bed, giving me a mental reprieve from all of their thoughts—there were only dreams floating around now. Carlisle—as well as Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper—had gone home. Carlisle was eager to start research on the sleeping draught. Sirius and Shane had decided to stay and were getting some well-deserved sleep in the corner of the wing.

Shane and Sirius were not the only ones getting some shut eye here in the hospital wing. Dumbledore had also taken up a post in a dark, shadowy corner. His mind had finally relaxed enough to let him sleep, and in the process, the shield that covered his mind had slipped to the wayside. He was dreaming about what it was like the first time Voldemort had come into power. It wasn't something I wanted to see right now, so I decided to ignore his thoughts.

My gaze slid around the room, stopping on Esme for a brief moment. Esme decided to stay with Harry, Bella, and me in the hospital wing. She thought we could all use some mothering, and she wasn't wrong about that. She was currently sitting at Harry's bedside, keeping a constant vigil as he rested. Esme knew what that kind of trauma could do to someone's dreams. So, while he was silent and resting comfortably, Esme was reading some new teaching material that she wanted to talk to Dumbledore about introducing to her classes.

Harry had refused to drink the potion of Dreamless Sleep that was offered to him after his arm was healed by Madam Pomfrey. Thank goodness, though, he was able to slip quite easily into sleep. So far, his dreams had been quiet and happy. For that, I was grateful.

Bella's dreams were also quiet. Although, hers I was enjoying much more. She was dreaming of the future. One where she was grown up, where we both had graduated from Hogwarts and were living in a world that was safe, free, and beautiful. They floated from the both of us travelling the world, to working for the ministry, for Hogwarts, or in our own store, to both of us settling down and starting a family.

It was her last dream that spoke to me the most. In it, she was glowing, absolutely stunning, because she was beautifully round with our child. She was standing on the deck of our house, looking out on the back yard. I could see her standing there, a soft smile on her face, as she rubbed her rounded tummy and spoke to the child within her. She turned side on and looked back into the house, her smile widening as she did so because I stepped out of the door, smiling back at her. I stepped up to her side, giving her a soft kiss on the lips as my hand reached out to join hers on her stomach. If this was what our future held, I couldn't wait to join her in it.

Bella and Harry were rudely woken, and I was dragged kicking and screaming, from our dreams when loud, arguing voices were heard approaching the hospital wing. They were all talking over each other, so much so, that I could only clearly make out that it was Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Cornelius Fudge, and they were arguing about Bartemius Crouch Junior. That was until they stepped through the doors. Their voices got louder, so did their argument, and with that came even louder thoughts.

"Dear God," I whispered, "what has he done?"

_What?_ Bella asked, silently eyeing the group warily.

I sighed. "Just …" I waved my hand in their direction, sighing again. "Wait."

"How could you do something so fundamentally stupid?" Professor McGonagall asked. "We needed him!"

"We did not. He had nothing to offer!" Fudge argued back. Snape just glowered, coming in behind them.

Professor McGonagall spun in a circle. "Where is Professor Dumbledore? I was sure he'd be here."

"I am, Minerva. What seems to be the problem?" Dumbledore replied, stepping out of the shadows where he had been resting.

"This man, and I use that term loosely, brought dementors onto the school grounds without anyone's knowledge and had them give the kiss to Bartemius Crouch Junior!" Professor McGonagall ranted, throwing her arms up in the air and letting them smack back down on her thighs.

Bella, Harry, and Esme—who was sitting with Harry while Shane and Sirius slept off to the side, although they were awake now—gasped at what McGonagall had said. All of us were in various states of shock.

"Why on earth would you do that, Cornelius?" Professor Dumbledore asked calmly, but the threat was implied in the tone of his voice.

"He was an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, and had he returned, he would have told them all about how it happened. I couldn't have that," Fudge replied indignantly.

_Sure._ Bella rolled her eyes. _That excuse is flimsy at best._

I nodded. "Others agree with you," I whispered to her.

"I think," Dumbledore spoke carefully, quietly, "that the reason you did this behind everyone's back is because you didn't want him testifying about Voldemort's return. He was the one who had the most evidence."

At this comment, I snorted softly because Crouch wasn't the one with the most evidence—Harry and I were.

"There is absolutely no evidence that he-who-shall-not-be-named has returned. And I will not stand for anyone saying otherwise without the proof to back it up!" Fudge ranted.

"How about this?" Snape demanded, pulling up the sleeve of his robes roughly. "If the Dark Lord"—at this comment, Bella's and my eyebrows shot up—"… was truly still gone, this tattoo would not be this dark."

"And I think you're mad!" Fudge shouted. "Just as he was mad. He-who-shall-not-be-named cannot come back!"

Those not involved in the conversation—or in this case, shouting match—watched on while Fudge had an argument for every valid point that Dumbledore, McGonagall, and even Snape thought up to show that Voldemort had returned from the dead.

Until I heard more than I could stomach.

"Enough!" I growled loud enough that each of them stopped arguing and snapped their mouths closed. "First of all, this is a hospital, and we are supposed to be resting after our harrowing ordeal. Second of all, you are right, Professor Dumbledore." I didn't expand on that because I didn't want Fudge knowing my secret, but Dumbledore nodded, accepting my words. "Third, for argument's sake, Minister Fudge, Bartemius Crouch Junior wasn't the only one with proof. Would you like to see my memories of what happened tonight? Or would you prefer to continue to stick your head in the sand? And would you like to pretend that had I been a normal, mortal wizard, everyone would be mourning my death?"

Bella whimpered at my words so I pulled her closer. I knew that hearing those blunt words—especially from me—would affect her deeply. But Fudge had to hear them. He had to know that things could have turned out very differently.

Our illustrious minister blustered for a few minutes. He had absolutely no idea what to say. But really … what was there to say? We were right, and he did not want to accept that.

Eventually, Professor Dumbledore took pity on the minister. "For now, Cornelius, I think both you and the dementors need to get off school grounds. We don't have much left to discuss. What I do suggest you do, though, is send an envoy to the giants. If Voldemort has returned, they will be some of the first he approaches."

"I will not. There is nothing to be done because he. Has. Not. Come. Back!" With that, Minister Fudge stomped over to my bed. "Here." He dumped a bag on my nightstand. "And here," he said, dumping another on Harry's bed, "are your winnings. You two have inconvenienced the ministry highly by winning together. I thought you should share the prize, but apparently, the rest of the committee found it prudent to award the whole prize … to each of you." With that snipe, he spun and flounced out of the hospital wing.

"What's that?" Bella asked as Harry picked up his small sack. We both heard the metallic clinking before Harry gave his a good shake. He opened his sack and started counting.

"I'd say these are our winnings from the tournament. One thousand galleons each." I put my nose in the air, indignantly. "He could have at least said 'Congratulations on your win'."

Bella snorted at my sarcastic comment but picked up the bag to look inside. "What are you gonna do with yours?"

_Fred and George could use it._ Harry's voice caught my attention. I looked up to see that, while Harry was still upset with us, he was looking at me. _As long as Molly doesn't find out it was us … we could give it to them to start their store._

I nodded while looking at him. "Sounds good, Harry. We'll do that, and we'll have to make sure Molly doesn't … ever … find out."

Bella giggled, figuring out what we were talking about and flopped back on the bed. The mirth seemed to fade, though, as Dumbledore turned to face those left in the room.

"Cornelius isn't going to do the right thing." He sighed. "Which means we're going to have to." Dumbledore carefully looked over those around him. "Shane, I need you to go to the ministry and fetch Arthur. Have him meet me in my office." Shane nodded and left the wing, giving Harry a rub on the head as he went past. "Minerva, can you head out to the grounds and have Madame Maxime and Hagrid meet me at the fountain in the garden. I must speak with them urgently."

"Certainly, Professor Dumbledore." Professor McGonagall rushed out of the hospital wing like the hounds of hell were after her.

"We're going to need the order, again, I fear," Professor Dumbledore murmured as he rubbed his forehead. "Who to send? Who to send?"

_Is that a trick question?_ Bella thought as she sleepily looked at me. I shrugged. I wasn't sure; as usual, Dumbledore had his thoughts closed.

Things were quiet until Sirius spoke up from next to Harry's bed. "I'll go. I'll go round up Remus, and we can start covering ground."

"But …" Harry was going to argue. But Sirius shook his head.

"I can write from anywhere. But we do need to get the order together. Sooner rather than later. I'll head out now." Sirius turned to Harry. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Harry just nodded. Everything that he had experienced tonight was starting to catch up with him. He wasn't going to be able to hold onto his emotions for much longer.

I heard a sigh from Dumbledore, which pulled my attention back to him. He was looking at Snape, and they seemed to be having a serious conversation without actually talking. "Severus, I hate to ask this of you." Dumbledore eventually spoke.

"I know. But you're going to ask it of me anyway."

Dumbledore nodded. "You need to go back."

"I must. The Dark Lord will expect his followers to come back."

I hissed quietly. Dumbledore was letting Snape go back. I wasn't even sure he had left in the first place!

"How will you explain your lateness?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

"That I had to wait until things calmed down around here before I could make my escape."

With not a word more said between them, Snape turned and marched out of the wing without a look back. His arrogance on display once more.

I opened my mouth to argue, but Dumbledore held up his hand to silence me. "I know you don't trust him, Edward. But I do, and right now, we have to. If he can keep us abreast of the goings on in Voldemort's inner circle then that's good. We need to know."

My mouth snapped closed because, as much as I wanted to argue the point, he was right. But I didn't believe, not for one second, that any of the information Snape would hand on would be useful. Not at all.

After a couple moments of silence, Dumbledore too left the wing, presumably to go and meet with Hagrid, Maxime, and Arthur.

Almost the second the doors closed, labored breathing drew my attention to Harry. It seemed the night's events had finally taken their toll. He was trying to hold it in. He didn't want to show any emotion, but it was dragging him under.

Instead of letting him suffer, Esme sat down on his bed next to him and pulled him into her arms. "Let it out, Harry. You're safe, here, now. Let it out."

It seemed that it was the permission he was waiting for because the sob that burst out of him was loud, wailing, and full of anguish. Instead of watching him and making him feel like a science experiment, I laid back on the bed, pulling a sniffling Bella into my arms. We were quiet as Harry cried himself out. By the time he did, Bella had fallen back asleep in my arms, and I was resting with my eyes closed.

"Here, Harry," Esme whispered. "I know you don't want to drink this, but you need your rest. Today is going to come quickly, and you need some rest. At least for tonight, sleep, and leave your dreams behind."

"Thank you, Esme." I could hear Harry swallow the potion.

"You're welcome, sweet boy." Esme stayed quiet while Harry drifted off to sleep. "He's going to need us, Edward. All of us."

"I know. And we will be there for him."

I could hear the determination in her voice as she replied with one word. "Good."

~*~UHS~*~

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**A lot of information in this one. And a betrayal from those in government (big surprise). Let me know what you think!**

**See you in a fortnight.**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three -Defending Our Love

**This is it ... the last chapter of Book Four. I'm sad to see this ending, but so excited for the new one that I'm working on. It's taking a little longer to write, due to my working schedule, but check in on my group for updates. I'll let everyone there know first when Book Five will be ready for posting. Bubbleybear and Pienuniek's Story Nook on Facebook.**

**I owe a massive thank you to Sally and Pienuniek for all their hard work on this story. It's a labor of love from all of us, but it wouldn't be anywhere near the quality it is without either of them. So THANK YOU, both of you. **

**Twilight and Harry Potter belong to Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**See you at the bottom ...**

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**Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Defending Our Love**

Harry and I were released from the hospital wing the following morning. Bella had stayed with me all night and was now accompanying us to breakfast. Thanks to the potion of the dreamless sleep, Harry had slept with no nightmares, but he still wasn't happy, to say the least.

And for as much as Bella and I had apologized that morning, he wasn't talking to either of us. He had stormed on ahead of us as we made our way through the corridors and down the stairs to the Great Hall.

"Do you think he'll ever talk to us again?" Bella asked quietly as we stepped through the doors.

I could see that Harry had already made it to the Gryffindor table, but the problem was that he was holding himself apart. Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were trying to talk to him but he just wasn't having it. I sighed, guiding Bella over. "I hope so, Bella. But he's angry, and he has a right to be. I hope the others won't be as mad. We just have to be patient."

"Okay." She sighed, taking a seat next to Hermione.

"What happened?" Neville, Ginny, and Hermione asked at the same time. "I mean, we heard Harry say that Voldemort was back, but we were brought back to the castle before we heard anything else," Hermione continued.

"So, is it true?" Ginny asked.

Neville followed that one up quickly with another question. "What are we going to do?"

"First of all, let me answer your questions." I laughed while Bella giggled. Then the mirth dropped off and I sighed. "To answer your question, Ginny, yes, Voldemort is back. But as for the rest, where do you want me to start?"

"How about from the beginning?" Hermione said while the others nodded.

"In that case, it will take more time than what we have here. Spread the word around to the twins, Luna, Fleur, Viktor, and the others to meet in the Room of Requirement. You all should know."

"That's fair," Hermione murmured. "Harry, will you be joining us?"

Hermione got a short, sharp nod. "What time?" he asked gruffly.

"In about an hour?" Bella asked rather than stated. "I would like to shower and change beforehand."

"Good. You have a lot to share." With that, Harry stood and stormed off without so much as a word to anyone.

"What's wrong with him?" Neville asked, throwing his thumb over his shoulder toward the door.

I sighed. "That's a long tale and part of the story we have to tell."

Bella looked at the others guiltily. "And we haven't been entirely honest with all of you."

Ginny reached forward and held Bella's hand. "We'll get over it. Although, to be completely honest with you, this year was hard enough on all of us. If you kept it to yourselves, then it was probably worth it. I won't hold it against you."

"Me either, Bella, Edward." Neville shook his head. "You two seem to get relied on more than we do, so if you keep things to yourself for a while, then that's okay."

Hermione just nodded before she stood. "Harry will come around, I'm sure. C'mon, Neville, Ginny, let's go round up everyone else."

_I still feel bad,_ Bella thought as the others walked away. _We really need to do better._

"We do, and we will. Try not to feel too badly." I kissed her softly. "Let's go get ready."

~*~UHS~*~

"So, yes, what I said yesterday stands true. Voldemort is back, and things are going to get much, much worse before they get better." I looked up from where my hands were linked with Bella's to see that all of our friends had been shocked into silence. Bella and I had just spent the last few hours giving them all a rundown on everything that had happened this year, as well as what happened in the maze yesterday. Sure, they had asked a few questions when we first began, but as the nitty gritty was detailed, they fell silent and asked less.

To say they were shocked would be an understatement.

Harry snorted and shook his head. "Wow, you really kept us in the dark this year, didn't you? What happened to being open, and honest, and sharing what you know?"

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. "They went to a lot of trouble this year to keep you safe. To help you through the tournament. To help all of us."

Draco, who was sitting as close to Ginny as he could get, without being obvious, was nodding along with her.

"And what good did it do us? Voldemort still came back. He can now kill everyone we love!" Harry argued.

"Yes, but now we have the chance to stop him for good." George spoke up from the other side of Fred, who was sitting next to Viktor.

Fred nodded. "I think that Moody—the real one—was right. It had to happen as it did to give us the opportunity in the future."

Harry's mouth was hanging open in shock. "Aren't you mad they kept all this from us? That we had no choice in the matter?"

"No." Fleur shook her head. "Zey were acting on ze word of a well-known auror. And weren't you listening? Zey did want to tell us. What could we have done, zough? Really? What could you have done?"

"Wasn't it bad enough that not only did they have to make the tough decisions on their own with little input from any adult figure? But they had to defend their love, and relationship, from the people who made this tournament as well?" Viktor asked.

Bella and I were stunned. We hadn't expected this reaction from the others. Shock, yes. Outrage, yes. But understanding … not on your life.

"Well," Harry mumbled. "I never thought about it."

"Of course, you didn't. All you saw was how it affected you," Hermione snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "And, yes, Harry, it did affect you the most because you had to face Voldemort by yourself. But did you think about what it did to Edward? He had to 'die' and lie there, letting you face that monster all on your own. He couldn't help as much as he wanted to. And what about what it did to Bella?"

"Bella! She wasn't there!" Harry argued.

"She may not have been, but she knew her mate had to take a killing curse to help this vision, this future, come to fruition," Luna said in her soft, lilting way. "She's been dealing with this aspect for far longer than this tournament. Didn't Alice see that vision last summer? That had to have been hard to reconcile. To know that the one person she couldn't live without was going to have to be hit with the one curse that has not been stopped, until you. Twice."

Bella sobbed in reaction to Luna's words and reached out to hug her. Luna had sat down next to Bella and, when the story had started, reached out for her hand. Now they clung to each other. Bella crying while Luna murmured reassurances in her ear.

I reached out to grab one of Bella's hands when she released Luna, leaning over to kiss her head. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't think of it that way either."

Bella shook her head and cuddled into my chest. _I know. I know you didn't, and it didn't bother me, much. I promise._

"But she made the vest. He was protected!" Harry was still arguing. He didn't want to give up his anger without a fight because it was the only thing holding him together after finding out his mother could never come back to him. He had started to hope when he saw her come out of Voldemort's wand.

Neville sighed this time. "And she had to put everything she had into that. It took her all year to make it. If I'm not mistaken, that was the gift she gave him only two days before the third task. Which means Bella has lived with the fact that her mate, not her boyfriend, not her friend, but the _one_ person she was destined to be with _forever_, was going to be hit with a killing curse. And the only reassurance was from Professor Dumbledore, who said that it _shouldn't—_not_ wouldn't—_but_ shouldn't_ harm him. That couldn't have been easy, especially after what happened first year."

I squeezed Bella closer. She had hidden it so well. I had never picked up on it. "I should have never entered the damn tournament to begin with."

Bella sat up, angrily, but gently reached for my face and rested her forehead against mine. "No, Edward, no. I loved that you were in the tournament. I loved that you dedicated all your winning to me. I loved being able to support you. I never once doubted it, you, or the fact that you'd survive. I love you, just as you are."

"I love you, too." I kissed her then. Square on the mouth, hard, trying to put everything in that I could.

"So, you see, mate," Draco drawled even though I hadn't let up kissing Bella. "While they kept it a secret, they did so at their own peril. Their relationship was altered thanks to this tournament. Do you think you would have been better off if he hadn't entered?"

I pulled back from Bella's mouth but left my forehead on hers. I could see Harry in my peripheral vision, so I knew his shoulders had slumped as his anger had petered out. But looking at him just wasn't important. The big, wet, chocolate eyes staring up are me with total love and dedication were. I couldn't look away if I'd tried.

"No," Harry murmured in answer to Draco's question. "I don't think any of us would have been better off. That tournament was … I have no words; it just was. I just …" Harry released a sniffle. "I just wanted my mum. I miss her, even though I don't remember, and I was hoping after … well after …"

Hermione stood and went to Harry. "Oh, Harry. Of course, you were. How could anyone not hope for it after what you experienced? Should Edward and Bella have told us? Probably, but only for us to support them, to help them. But taking out your anger, your disappointment, and your grief on them … that's not right either."

Harry nodded. "I know. And I am sorry. But I think for now, I just need to grieve on my own. Grieve for what I've lost for a second time."

We all nodded and silently watched as Harry walked out of the door to head back down to his dormitory.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"We continue on. This time being a bit more open," Bella answered, her stomach grumbling, loudly, as she did so. Bella flushed as it broke the tension, causing us all to laugh, including her. "And maybe get some lunch from the Great Hall."

We all stood together and headed for the door. Draco disguising himself and hiding in the middle of the group as we left.

Things weren't perfect, and we would talk about everything some more, of that I had no doubt. But it was all out in the open, and we could move forward with plans for the summer.

After the others had sat for their finals over the coming weeks. Guess they had some studying to do.

~*~UHS~*~

It didn't take long for Minister Fudge to get the Daily Prophet on board with his version of events. In fact, the school was abuzz with it by the time we made it down for breakfast the following day.

"Have you read zis nonsense?" Fleur demanded, sitting next to Bella and throwing the Prophet on the table.

"Nope," Bella replied popping the P. "What does the Truth say though?"

I laughed. "Hang on, Bella. I want to see what he's saying."

"Fine, fine." Bella slid the paper along the table to me, not even taking a peek.

_Big Tie Wins the Triwizard Tournament!_ Was the headline on the front page.

"Oh, dear Lord," I whispered.

"Told you!" Bella sang as she reached for some pancakes.

_It was a spectacular ending to the revival of what some call the greatest tournament to come to Hogwarts in far too long. _

_It had been many a century since the last Triwizard Tournament had been held. And this one had started off with a bang because we had four, not three, but four champions. Two humans, one Veela, and a vampire. One of those humans being the one and only Harry Potter. _

_The scores remained close through the first and second tasks with Edward Masen, the vampire, tying for first place with Harry Potter. So, it was with tied scores of eighty-five points that Edward and Harry entered the maze—the third task—first._

_Thanks to some very clever spell work by Professor Minerva McGonagall, we were able to witness all that happened in the maze, so we watched as they progressed through. Harry had a fairly easy go of it, unlike his vampire counterpart._

As I continued to read down the page, it was more of the same. A recount of the third task, focusing more on Harry and me than on Viktor and Fleur. But it was the end of the recount that I was interested in reading, so I skipped ahead to the end.

_We were all on the edge of our seats after Viktor and Fleur were eliminated to see who was going to get to the cup first—Harry or Edward. We watched with bated breath as Harry was able to pull ahead of Edward, thanks to the help of the sphinx guarding the final hurdle. But once Edward was through, we were able to see how fast, how superior, vampires are to the normal wizarding population. He maneuvered his way through the corridors so fast that the spell we were witnessing him with struggled to keep up._

I snorted at that. It wasn't like it was a camera. But then I didn't see it happen. I might have to watch Bella's memories to experience it for myself.

_It wasn't long before Edward was able to catch up with Harry. While we couldn't hear what was being said, it seemed that the pair began to argue. They fought, they ran, they raced to the Triwizard Cup. At the last moment, with another discussion between them, they both reached for a handle, gripping it together. With a swish and a swirl, that we're all familiar with, both disappeared into the vortex of a portkey. It wasn't but a few minutes later that the winners graced us with their presence to a large round of fanfare and congratulations._

_That's right. You heard it here first. We have not one, but two, Triwizard Winners. Well done Edward Masen and Harry Potter for winning the first Triwizard Tournament since 1792._

And that was where the recount ended. There was absolutely no mention of anything that happened afterward, not of the long gap between when we left the maze to when we returned. Not of Barty Junior, or of Barty himself. And there was absolutely nothing of Voldemort's return.

I dropped the paper in front of me and looked up. "You're right, Fleur, this is absolute garbage."

"How iz ze world to prepare if zey are not told the truth?" she asked.

Bella growled. "Fudge doesn't want the world to know the truth. He's hoping it will all go away, so he buries his head in the sand and denies that anything is happening. Good thing we have _The Truth _on our side." Bella slid another paper toward me, this one smaller but much more familiar. "It's amazing what can be written while on the road."

"Indeed." I pulled the page to me and started to read. I noticed the difference in style almost immediately. Sirius wrote with more attention to detail than flair for the obvious. His detail was also far more interesting. He kept it short and factual, even at the end.

_Edward and Harry reached for the cup at the same time, both disappearing from sight almost instantly. We expected an immediate reappearance back where we were located at the beginning of the maze, but unfortunately, that was not the case._

_It wasn't until almost an hour and a half later that the pair of them arrived, disheveled, panting, and barely alive._

_The stadium was cleared out quickly by Minister Fudge and other teachers until just a few of Edward's and Harry's families were left. It was here that we were told a different harrowing tale. One where the run through the maze was child's play when compared to the life or death scenario that Harry and Edward had to face._

_A tale where Voldemort returned from the grave and attempted to kill Edward Masen and Harry Potter._

Sirius didn't hold anything back. He told everything that we had told, including a short blurb with Barty Junior. He wanted it clear that he was telling everything, that he was telling the truth. Something he was really good at. And when you added Colin Creevy's pictures, it made you feel like you were there in the moment.

I know that wasn't all that happened that night. There was nothing of what happened in the hospital wing afterward, and I wondered if he was holding onto that for later, for when the Daily Prophet would fire back. Because with Fudge pushing his version of the truth, it was inevitable that they would.

I sighed, dropping the paper and discussing the different articles. "Things are going to get ugly. This is going to become a war of words."

Bella nodded. "It was always going to come to that. You knew that or you wouldn't have started The Truth. This way we are able to tell them what is really happening. Besides there will be ones who don't want to accept what the Truth is telling them. There will be ones who take the Prophet's words to heart because that's all they've ever read …"

"That'll be the parents and grandparents," I interrupted.

"Yeah, exactly. And then there will be the ones who, unequivocally, understand that what you and Harry went through, that what the Truth reported is exactly that. The Truth. And those will be the ones who witnessed it all first hand. So, it's going to be an argument, a war, between the younger generation …" Bella waved her hands at the students again. "And their parents and grandparents." Bella shook her head. "The next few years are going to be difficult. Interesting, but difficult."

Fleur and I nodded to Bella's words but said nothing. What was there left to say?

~*~UHS~*~

The next few weeks preparing for finals were as tension-filled as any others at Hogwarts. The whole school was cramming for their exams, including the remaining Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students, except for the four champions. I still thought it was ridiculous.

So instead of just sitting idle, I was helping Bella and the others prepare for theirs while simultaneously teaching Fleur some of the things she'd need to know when she started at Hogwarts next year. She had spoken to Professor Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall, and decided she was going to repeat her final year while Gabrielle did her first because after this tournament, she realized there was so much more that she didn't know.

But preparing for finals and helping Fleur get up to speed wasn't the only stress-filled things happening. I had been right. The war of words between the Daily Prophet and The Truth had been ramped up. For every scathing, untruthful article that the Minister for Magic and the Prophet pushed out, The Truth was there to counter it.

For every article that was written, for every lie told, for every truth told, the students at Hogwarts continued to talk about what happened. For the first week or so, the students would come and ask us questions. Some tried to trip us up, tried to see if we were lying. Others wanted us to confirm, or deny, the information they were receiving. But when Harry's and my stories continued to stay the same, they stopped asking and started leaving us alone. For that, I was grateful.

I knew going into this tournament that I would draw attention; I just didn't know it would be this much. I had a feeling, though, that the attention would come back twice as bad when signs of Voldemort returning began to surface.

"Ugh, I'll be so glad when finals are over," Bella groaned dropping into my lap in the Room of Requirement where I had been with Viktor, Fleur, Gabrielle, and Harry. We still hid here even though Viktor was free of Karkaroff. It seemed the appearance of Karkaroff's master scared him so badly that he fled from Hogwarts and hadn't been heard from since.

I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her head. "I know, baby. Only a couple more days."

"I want to go home," she whined.

The others chuckled, although Harry just cracked a smile. "Soon, Bella. You don't have many more to go, and Friday we have the feast. We'll be home by Saturday lunch time."

"Hmph, not soon enough." Bella crossed her arms and huffed. I could see from her mind that she was only partly frustrated with school. She was ready for the year to be over but would miss it just as much.

I tickled her side, causing her to giggle. "How about a distraction, hmm?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I think we need to visit Hagrid for one more afternoon tea." Bella squealed at my suggestion, climbing off my lap instantly. I laughed at her excitement; I couldn't help it. "I take it you would like that?"

"Yes! Yes! Hurry!" Bella squealed again as she pulled on my arm, trying to get me to stand.

I looked at the others. "Want to come?"

Fleur, Viktor, and Harry shook their heads, but Gabrielle looked at her sister pleadingly. Gabrielle had grown close to the lovable giant this year. Much like Bella, she had an affinity for animals, and he had fostered that love. "May I go, Fleur, please?"

"Of course," Fleur answered simply. With a kiss to Gabrielle's head, Fleur gestured to us.

Gabrielle sprung up from her seat and grabbed a hold of Bella's hand with as much excitement as Bella had shown. The three of us waved as we headed for the door of the Room of Requirement and started down the moving staircase.

"What animals do you have at home, Bella? I can't believe I've never asked before." Gabrielle mused.

And the conversation was off. I paid just enough attention to them as they talked about the small collection of animals we had procured, including one Kneazle named Salem, who had recently joined our brood. I had to snicker at that thought. Apparently, he hadn't been happy to leave Hogwarts without me. He had wanted to stay, much like Kreacher does with Bella, but Dumbledore put his foot down. He said that one familiar was enough. If I wanted Salem, I had to leave Athan at home. The only time he would be allowed too would be if Hagrid wanted to borrow him for a lesson, then that was going to be okay, but until then, he had to stay at home.

I snorted quietly at that. If I was in trouble, much like in the maze, then there would be nothing Dumbledore could do to keep Salem away.

"C'mon, Edward. I want to spend as much time as I can with Hagrid before dinner!" Bella called from in front of me. I hadn't realized how far behind I had fallen.

"I'm coming. I'm coming," I called, racing up to them. I swept them both under my arms, one on either side, and raced on out of the door and down the hill toward Hagrid's hut, the girls laughing and squealing as I did so.

"What's all this 'ere racket?" Hagrid chortled, stepping out of his hut. "Edward, what're yeh doin' to the girls?"

"They didn't think I was being fast enough." I smirked. "So, I decided to prove them wrong."

Bella and Gabrielle wobbled a little as I set them down, causing them to giggle.

"Well, let's not stand 'round all day. Come inside." Hagrid laughed, opening the door for us.

We followed him in and took seats on his oversized furniture. Bella and Gabrielle on one huge chair, and I took a seat at the table.

"What're yeh 'ere for?" Hagrid asked as he hung the kettle in the fireplace.

"We wanted to have one last tea with you before the school year finished," Bella blurted out while Gabrielle said, "I wanted to see if you had any animals I could play with before we leave!"

Hagrid and I laughed at the pair of them. Gabrielle was a lot like Bella. She exhibited the same love of life, the same love of animals, the way Bella had—and still did—the day that I met her. It was gratifying to know that Fleur had recognized that she needed a different education than the one offered at Beauxbatons.

For the next few hours, I followed the three of them around in mate bliss as my girl, her cousin, and Hagrid had tea and checked out the animals that were still on the grounds. There were laughs, there were giggles, and they even had a ride on a couple of the bigger animals Hagrid was looking after.

It was nice to see them both relaxing, but especially Bella. She was handling the exams like a champ, but it was still stressful. We knew things were going to be harder over the next few years, but we could handle it as long as we took the time to relax in between.

~*~UHS~*~

The final exams were done. All of our bags were packed, and my trunk had been settled and locked, ready to make the long journey back to London via the Hogwarts Express. I was seated on the recliner in my little part of Gryffindor tower, waiting for Bella to come to me. It was our last night at Hogwarts, and we were all just a little bit crazy excited to be getting out of here for the summer. Tomorrow we would be heading home to Swan Manor.

"Edward?" Bella asked softly, touching the side of my face. I must have closed my eyes.

"Hmm?" I hummed as my eyes opened and looked at my beautiful girl. I reached out and ran my finger along the side of her face. "You're so beautiful."

Bella blushed lightly. "Thank you. You're pretty good looking too. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go eat so we can go home."

I stood and reached for her hand. Bella slipped her hand into mine. As we walked toward the portrait, we were joined by Hermione, Fred and George, Neville, and a quiet Harry. We reminisced about the good things—not that there were many—about what we had gone through this year. But we talked more about what we planned to do over the summer. From resting, to travelling, to preparing for the future.

The mood in the Great Hall was somber. Instead of being decorated in the Hogwarts colors, before being changed to the house cup winners, the dark-colored banners were a stark reminder of what had happened at the end of the third task.

While nobody died, per se, the loss of the innocence of most children was going to be spread far and wide. Not just their innocence but freedom as they knew it. For those parents who were pragmatic, and didn't take the Daily Prophet's word as gospel, they would take the appropriate steps to make sure their children were safe. At home or at school. Others would be lost within the tug of war between what the parents believed, what the Prophet was saying, and what The Truth was trying to tell them. There would be arguments, there would be falling outs, and nobody would be spared.

Then there would be those who buried their heads in the sand. It was those people I felt for the most because their children would be left to flounder. With no clear guidance, what would happen to them?

Our laughter and chatter cut off as we crossed the threshold and walked to our places at the Gryffindor table. Bella waved quietly at Fleur and Gabrielle at the Hufflepuff table and Viktor sitting with the Slytherins, more specifically Draco. Quiet conversations were being held around the room as we waited for the rest of the students to filter in.

_I've never seen a sadder sight,_ Bella thought as she looked around. _I fear for us, Edward. Well, them. All of our friends and family who aren't immortal._

I pulled Bella into my arms and leaned down so my lips were at her ear. "You should be, Bella." She froze in my arms. "I don't mean to scare you, sweetheart, but we all need to face the reality that if a war is on our horizon, which I believe it is …"

Bella sniffled. _Not everyone we love is going to come home safely._

"Exactly. I'm sorry, but that is the stark truth of war. You've already lost so much. I wonder how you'll handle more."

Bella looked up at me. Her eyes bright with tears. "As long as it isn't you, I'll survive."

I kissed her softly because that's how I felt. "As will I, my girl. As will I."

I held her gently for the last few moments before Professor Dumbledore stood to make his way to the podium. As he walked, the hushed conversations started to dwindle, so by the time he made it to the center of the stage, the entirety of the Great Hall had fallen silent.

"This year …" he began "… was not what we had envisioned when we fought to have the Triwizard Tournament returned to our schools."

It seemed that while Karkaroff had left the grounds, Madame Maxime was still here to take the Beauxbatons back to their school. During the last few weeks, another Headmaster for Durmstrang had been appointed and arrived to captain the ship to take the boys home.

Dumbledore sighed. "You students weren't the only ones to learn something this year. Through a series of very bad decisions, the other judges and I caused some nearly irreversible harm to one of our champions and his mate. Edward, Bella, for that we are truly sorry." Dumbledore looked at us to see that he was sincere in his apology, so we nodded to show that we accepted. We did accept; it would just take time to trust him again.

"On one hand, the tournament was a success. On the other, not so much. I am aware of the words being thrown around by the Ministry and the Daily Prophet—they have not gone unnoticed." He sighed again. "Obviously, the Ministry does not want me to tell you this … but I fear if I do not, many of you will be blindsided by what's coming … and what two of our champions suffered through would have been in vain. Voldemort has returned," he nearly shouted. "Hard times are coming. Maybe not straight away. Maybe not tomorrow, next week, or even next year, but the world will get smaller, darker … all before the light will return. We might lose people—people we love, people we care for."

I followed Dumbledore's gaze as he looked around at the gathering of students in the Great Hall. Many had their eyes lowered to the ground or the table in front of them. Some were disbelieving of what they were hearing. But many of them were listening with rapt attention. They believed what had happened at the end of the tournament. They were prepared to endure, to help, to survive what was coming. And I believed we would need as much help as physically possible. The stories I'd heard, ones I'd read, all led me to believe that Voldemort was as dark as they come. And he was willing to do anything to gain what he wanted.

Immortality and total control of the world as we knew it.

Dumbledore's gaze landed back on our table. Specifically, Harry. "But good triumphed over evil once before. Many times, in fact. I believe it will again. I hope it will, and I need you all to hope for the same thing. Please try to enjoy your summer. I look forward to seeing you all next year. I leave you with these words that I hope you take to heart. All that's needed for evil to triumph over good is for good men, or women, to do nothing."

~*~UHS~*~

I stared out of the window of the train as it made its way back to Kings Cross Station where someone would be picking us up. The words of Dumbledore still ringing in my ears. Harry had taken some of his speech to heart, thinking that he might have to take Voldemort down on his own. I wasn't so sure that line of thinking was wrong. Something had been niggling at my mind for a little while.

For now, I stopped that line of thinking. I went back to that last feast. After Dumbledore's words, the food was shared, and the whole hall started to eat in relative silence. I say relative because it seemed that some of the Slytherins didn't care, or didn't believe, that the situation warranted it. It took some time, but eventually, we all broke out into conversations with our tablemates.

After dinner, we made our way out of the large castle doors to say our goodbyes to the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. Hugs, tears, and laughter were shared. I could see that Viktor wasn't at all sure about returning to the lonely bleak roster that he had between school, his family, and the Bulgarian Quidditch team. He was lonely.

And I believed Bella could see it, which is why I was not surprise by … "Hey, Viktor, why don't you come visit us some over the summer? We're going to miss you!" … the fact that she did that.

"I would like that." Viktor granted us with one of his rare smiles. We saw a lot of them when we were in private, but he didn't share them much when we were around everyone else. He gave us a wave as he trotted toward the Flying Dutchman. "See you soon!"

Bella snickered at the swooning girls who had caught Viktor's smile before they shook themselves and wandered off to say goodbye to someone else.

"Ve shall be zere before zummer's end. Iz zat okay?" Fleur asked, wrapping her arms around Bella while Gabrielle looked pleadingly up at her.

I laughed. "Whenever you're ready. At the beginning, the middle, or the end of summer is fine. And if you need a hand, let us know. We're old hats at moving by now."

The pair of them looked at me and tilted their heads in confusion. "Say what?" Gabrielle asked.

I couldn't help but laugh harder. "It just means that we're really good at packing and moving. So, if you need help, ask."

"And you are sure your family doez not mind?" Fleur asked, hugging me.

"No." I shook my head for emphasis. "Esme always wanted a big family. She has that with all of us. Plus, we have room now that Rose and Emmett have moved out. Besides," I hooked my arm around Hermione's shoulders, "we like to take in the strays. Right?"

"Right!" Hermione smiled. "First, it was me … then Neville, who is with Rose and Emmett."

"Uh, that's not right!" Bella argued. "First, it was Harry and his family, then me …"

"You weren't going to go anywhere else once I'd found you …" It was my turn to argue.

Bella continued as if I hadn't spoken, other than to poke her tongue out at me. "… then you, Hermione, then Neville."

Jasper—who had been standing nearby—slung his arm around Bella. "If you want to be accurate, little lady, all of us came before all of you."

"All right, all right," Fleur and Gabrielle stopped the arguments, which had us all bursting out into laughter. "Ve get it. You don't mind."

"Not at all."

With more hugs, Fleur and Gabrielle promised they'd be through our fireplace as soon as they possibly could. They also promised if they had any trouble leaving Beauxbatons, they'd ask for Esme to come and handle everything.

As a school, we all stood on the grass, waving, as the Flying Dutchman and the house-sized horses and carriage left our sight. Summer was going to be interesting this year, that was for sure.

_You okay, Edward? You've been kinda quiet,_ Bella thought, pulling me from my memories.

I kissed Bella's mouth softly when she looked up. "I'm fine. Just remembering saying goodbye to family and friends. And thinking that summer was going to be interesting."

Bella smiled. "Yeah. I miss them already."

"Me too," Hermione piped up from my other side. She was sitting there with Ginny, and they were playing exploding snap. We had managed to commandeer our extendable carriage again. "So, Edward, Harry … what are you planning to do with your winnings? I've been dying to ask, but it didn't seem like the right time."

I looked over at Harry as I kissed Bella again. This was his idea, and I was going to give him the spotlight—as much as he'd hate it—to let him explain. "Harry had a wonderful idea when we were lying in the hospital wing. I totally agreed with him."

Bella snuggled into me as Fred, George, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny all turned to face Harry. I was hoping we could figure out a way to get Draco around us more often, but that would take some careful figuring.

"Uh … well … thanks a lot, Edward." Harry grimaced, looking at me. I just smirked in response. He shook his head at me in mock annoyance before he faced Fred and George. "Look, we know it's your dream, both of you, to open a joke shop in Diagon Alley. We also know that your mother would never, ever agree to it, not in a million years. We've heard how she wants you all to go work for the Ministry."

"Somewhere they'd suffocate," Ginny agreed.

Harry nodded. "Exactly. So, we know she'd never help you get the money together to finance it yourselves."

Fred and George had frozen still, not believing their ears. While the others all smiled happily.

I pulled out my bag of galleons at the same time Harry did. He handed his to Fred, and I handed mine to George. "We decided that we're going to give you your start up. As long as you never tell Molly where you got the money from."

Snickers were heard from Ginny, Neville, Hermione, and Bella, while Fred and George remained frozen.

"Guys?" I prodded when they didn't move.

"Really?" they both asked at the same time. Fred looking at Harry, George at me. "Are you sure?"

Harry nodded while I answered. "This is going to sound conceited and completely arrogant, but yes. I don't need the money. I will never need the money. In my one hundred plus years on earth, I have amassed a fortune. I still have the muggle banks building on it. Money is something Bella and I will never need, so yes, take it. Have your dream. And please, do not tell Molly."

"We won't," they breathed together before Fred spoke again. "Two thousand galleons, Fred …"

"We can sign the contract on that shop …"

"Start production on that thing …" And that was all it took for their planning to take off. We lost them for the remainder of the ride home as they took out the hundreds of notes, lists, and plans they had made so they could figure out where they were going to start.

With smiles on our faces, we went back to occupying our time until we made it back to London. We started to pack our things away when I began to hear the thoughts of the many parents waiting on Platform 9¾ for their children to arrive. I couldn't pick out any of my family's thoughts at first because it was so loud. Eventually though, I found Alice and Jasper's.

"Who's come to get us?" Hermione asked as we filed out of the carriage.

"Jasper and Alice." I listened in on Alice's thoughts because I thought she would be at the store.

"Really?" Bella looked up at me in surprise because she thought the same thing I had.

"Yeah." I could see that they were curious, so I explained Alice's thoughts. "Alice loves owning her own shop, but she's gotten busy enough she needed to hire some help if she wanted to continue designing all of the clothes that are in it. Not only that, she wants to spend more time with Jasper over the summer, so she hired two sales assistants—a boy and a girl—and another girl to man the till and answer the phone. That has freed up a lot of her time. When Jasper volunteered to pick us up from the station, she wanted to come with him. Jasper wasn't the only one she missed apparently."

_I haven't missed you, know it all!_ She smirked at me when I stepped off the train and into her line of sight.

"I haven't missed you either!" I called over the heads of the students, leaning down to give her a hug when we reached them. "I know we only saw you a few weeks ago, but it's good to see you."

"You too. And all of you!" Alice squealed, pulling each one of us into her arms. I could see the same thoughts run through her mind about Draco as I'd had earlier. _I'll keep an eye out. Maybe something will come to me._

I nodded as I led the way down the platform to where all the luggage was being unloaded. We stood, waiting and chatting, as others grabbed their luggage and hurried off. We were in no hurry, so we waited patiently.

I was just reaching for Bella's trunk when a vision of Alice's slammed into my mind so hard that I missed the handle. The vision was so strong that I had to close my eyes to focus on it.

The station disappeared, and all I could see was the choppy, violent waves of the ocean slamming into a large, triangle-shaped building in the middle of nowhere. This building had to be at least a hundred stories tall and stood out of the ocean like a beacon. It seemed to be made entirely of concrete and had a chunk missing out of one of the top sides. There were no windows, nothing to give any clues as to what we were looking at.

But I knew. I could tell. The only thing a building like this would be used for would be a prison. Alice was having a vision of Azkaban.

Her vision changed from the outside of the prison to the inside where we could see hundreds of prisoners holding out their left arms. On their arms, tattoos were forming, filling in, and becoming black once more. Men and women, all of them smiling at the fact that their master had returned.

All of a sudden, the prison was rocked with what felt like an explosion. Alice's vision changed again to show that a top portion of it had blown apart, leaving cells open to the elements. We could hear a maniacal cackling going on in the background as hundreds of dark wizards left the confines of the prison itself.

The last thing her vision showed us was an image of the Daily Prophet side-by-side with The Truth. One paper was reporting a break out; the other was reporting a mass breakout and a list of escaped prisoners. You could tell which one was which.

_Holy shit, _Alice thought as her eyes cleared and she looked at me.

Holy shit indeed.

~*~UHS~*~

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**So ... that's where we leave this story. Hit me up one last time with a review. **

**See you all in the Story Nook ... And for the posting of Book Five.**


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